Oops?
by Angel Usagi
Summary: Usagi's had enough of Mamoru's teasing, so what's a teenage super hero to do? Use the Luna Pen to show him up, of course! But maybe, just maybe, this wasn't such a good idea after all...
1. The Black Haired Demon

Okay, okay, I've been lazy on my other fic, I know. I'll try to get to it as soon as I can, but right now, I'm not inspired for it. Anyway, I decided to write a more humorous fic while I'm waiting for my inspiration. This is first season, of course. Usagi doesn't know Mamoru's Tuxedo Kamen, and he doesn't know she's Sailor Moon, they haven't found the princess yet, blah, blah, blah… You get the drift.

Review, people! I heart reviews. Enjoy!

* * *

Today was _not_ turning out to be a good day. First, I was late to school (big surprise). Then, Miss Haruna was in one of her ultra-cranky moods so of course I got an hour detention after school. Probably some issue with this week's boyfriend. Why, oh why, does she have to take her anger out on poor little old me? What did I do? Okay… so I'll admit, maybe I'm late every single day of the week and get consecutive D's and F's, but still, I swear she lives to torture me.

You know what I did throughout that entire detention? Nothing! I just sat there and stared blankly at the white board and thought about how much fun it would be if I got a hold on some pretty colored markers and drew across the entire surface. Mind you, I'm not one to complain about doing nothing, but at least give me some entertainment! Normally I'd have something to do—most of my comic books were tucked underneath my books at the bottom of my backpack—but if I got near my backpack, she'd yell at me with another lecture on the impurities of lower-level learning. Really, how is anyone supposed to understand what that meant?

"Usagi-chan, do you understand yet?" Ami was attempting to explain to me. We all met up at the temple for another one of our weekly study sessions, which I was also late for and got yelled at (the second time today so far) by the fire-breathing dragon herself. I squinted my eyes, seeing the way too complicated problems scribbled across the paper. The numbers contrasted against the whiteness of the sheet. I let out a sigh.

"No," I said in defeat.

"All right, we'll go over it again."

This was the third time I had heard that statement in the past twenty minutes. I'll never understand who gave math such a huge importance to life. I mean, honestly, when will I use something like the quadratic formula? _Oh no,_ I'd be saying, _I can't find my backpack. I know; I'll use the quadratic formula to find it!_

"Usagi-chan? Are you even paying attention to me?" Ami's question caught my attention finally and I snapped out of it. I tried my best to become attentive, instantly sitting upright, but I probably looked as awake as I did every day in class… and half the time I was asleep on my desk.

"Uhhh, sure."

"What was I explaining, then?"

"Uhhhh…" Make something up, something good. "You were explaining… Math!"

That was incredibly lame. Note: Study up on better lies, _then_ learn the quadratic formula. Well, eventually, anyway.

I could hear Rei snort from across the table.

"What are you laughing at, pyro?" I snarled at her.

"You. Odango, you really do fit the stereotypical dumb blonde. You're mind's about as useful as a rock!"

I winced at the name I hated. If anyone knew how to press my buttons in the exact right places, it was Rei.

"I resent that," Minako snapped, turning her attention away from the television, but almost immediately her eyes went back to the screen. It showed some overly dressed pretty boy cry over his girlfriend's death. Of course, Minako's daily soap opera. Yeah, way to defend my honor. Some friend.

"Oooo, that was really mean, Rei! And a bad anole… anolo…"

"Analogy," Ami corrected me quickly. That didn't exactly help my point…

"You know what I meant," I defended myself.

Rei began her annoying laughter-filled tone again and said, "Ha, you can't even pronounce words correctly! Maybe you should go into the Special Ed program. I'm sure you'd fit right in!"

WHAT? That's it, she is _so_ off my Christmas list.

"Will you two calm down already and study? That's what we're here for," Makoto, always the helpful mediator, told us. I had a feeling she was only half involved in our work though, considering her eyes always conveniently strayed away to the soap opera that Minako was watching.

"Fine," Rei huffed, burying herself in a huge book that I would never dare to pick up myself. It looked about a hundred years old and probably without any pictures. What kind of book was that?

"Work on this problem and show me your answer after you've finished," Ami cut in after the room had been quiet for a moment. I sighed and went to work.

Okay… So that number goes in here and that other number… No, wait, that's the wrong one. Or is it? Ugh, WHAT DO THESE DAMN SYMBOLS MEAN? How can you have a plus AND a minus together? … Maybe it's a typo. Yeah, that's it. I can't believe it; even those supposedly all-knowing math people can't do it right.

Ami leaned over my shoulder after a couple minutes and asked, "Finished?"

"Uhh… Sure, right." I handed the paper casually over to her. It had tons of brown eraser marks streaking across the page. At least I tried. Sort of.

She blinked. "… There's nothing on here."

Well, I _tried_, it doesn't mean I have to actually leave an answer there! Do they expect me to be a genius overnight? I don't. I'd rather be sleeping. In fact, a nice nap sounded amazing right about now…

Luna, who had been curled up in a tight ball in the corner of the room, jumped onto the table with ease. She glanced over at my sad excuse of a homework paper for a second and elongated her high-and-mighty stride across the tabletop.

"Honestly, Usagi-chan, algebra? How could you possibly have trouble with such a thing? It's the easiest course out of all the math subjects," Luna lectured me.

Why is _everyone_ picking on me today? Did I miss some Usagi-hating memo?

"Hmph! I'd like to see you do it, furball!" I yelled back. That should teach her. Cats don't know how to do math.

She once again glanced over at my paper, then said smoothly, "Positive and negative eighty-two, of course."

Ami nodded. "Correct."

"WHAT? How did you do that!" I grabbed the paper and frantically looked the problem over and over, scanning across each number until my brain began to throb. Too many numbers and letters… It should be a crime to put letters in a math problem. I mean, math is math, not English.

She curled up into another one of her nap-ready balls on Ami's lap, shutting her eyes. "It's quite simple, really."

Oh _sure_, she's allowed to sleep. You'd think there'd be some benefit to having a talking cat, but I'd much rather have one that crawled around the house, ate its meals in absolute silence, and let me pet it every once in awhile. I guess a talking cat in my life is the least of my worries, though, and probably one of the most normal parts out of everything else.

"Well… Whatever. Eighty-two is a dumb answer. I mean, come on, why can't the answer be two? Or three? It has to be a big number like eighty-two. If I weren't the peace-loving, caring Sailor Moon we all know and love, I'd rebel against these horrible math problems."

"Shut up already, Odango! Nobody cares!" Rei shouted from behind her book. Can't she keep her trap shut for two seconds?

"Shut up, baka!" I retorted.

"Make me!"

"I can think of three good ways, and one of them has to do with my foot!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"I would, but your ass is so tight, my foot would probably get stuck!"

Wow, that was a good one. My comebacks are getting better and better by the day. I need to write that one down sometime.

She slammed her hands onto the table, looking completely furious. Her dark eyebrows scrunched together, looking almost like a bent caterpillar.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!" I said, grinning.

"One of these days, Tsukino, one of these days…" she trailed off, shaking her closed fist at me with her best intimidating face.

"Oooh, now I'm scared. What are you gonna do, throw a piece of paper at me?" I gasped in mock horror. "Oh no, I might get a paper cut!"

I could tell her nerves were getting beyond short by my words, but I couldn't help but push her to the edge. It was too much fun watching her face puff up like an inflating blimp and turn tomato red.

"All right, enough already," Makoto said with a sigh. "It looks like we've all had more than our share of this studying thing for today. What do you say we head for the arcade?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" I squealed at the thought of video games and warm food awaiting me at the arcade.

"Whoever's out last is a fire-breathing idiot!" and I bolted out the door.

"I HEARD THAT!" Rei yelled angrily as she and the rest soon followed.

* * *

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Hmm… Nine."

"I'd say four."

"FOUR? Are you blind, woman?"

"The bleached blonde hair lowered my score," Makoto commented casually as she sipped on her vanilla milkshake. She and Minako had been using their own personal Rate-A-Guy game to cure their boredom. I had to admit I'd get sucked into it too.

"Aww, come on, blondes are great. I should know," Minako said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, the strands seeming to sparkle in the mid-day sun. I felt a creeping jealousy in the pit of my stomach. Why did she have to look like that when I could be compared to a dumpling dessert? You are what you eat, I guess.

"I still say four."

"Well, then you're still blind."

We all shared a laugh. Makoto's eyes trailed over to the main counter of the arcade, jutting outward in the corner in one huge bulk, and she questioned casually, "What about Motoki?"

"Motoki?" I repeated. "Hmm, just from looks?"

"Sure, I guess. We've never talked about him before."

Minako put her finger on her chin. "... I'd say seven. He's cute."

"Nine," Makoto stated almost dreamily as her eyes wandered over to Motoki. He wiped his rag steadily across the arcade's slick counter. I took a quick glance in his direction, and he lifted his hand slightly, his gentle smile curving almost unnoticeable dimples in his cheeks. I smiled back, remembering how I used to hang on his every word like a five-year-old girl. Truth is, we're meant to be friends. I'm glad I realized that early.

"Five," Ami added in, which surprised me. She used to call our games shallow, childish even. "I prefer a leaner form."

Minako prodded Ami's side with her elbow and said, "Leaner, huh? You got someone in mind?"

A blush formed on Ami's cheeks. She almost never blushes. Hmm, maybe Minako's right. Then again, she usually is about those things. She _is_ the senshi of love, after all.

"Not particularly."

"I give him a six, only because he's become like a brother to me, and thinking about him like that is really weird," I spoke, quickly taking the pressure off Ami. I know how nosy Minako can be with that stuff, and Ami's not one to share like that.

"Not into incest, eh?" Rei asked, annoying as ever.

"Eww, no! That's gross!" I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

"Nice attitude."

"… Why, are you into it?"

She nearly choked on her drink. Serves her right. "Are you joking? I don't even have any siblings!"

"That has nothing to do with it! I asked if you were into it or not."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no," she told me, promptly (and rudely, might I add) stealing a fry off my glorious plate of food.

"Oi, that's _miiine_!" I whined, displaying the cutest pout I could manage. She just rolled her eyes at me. Hum, that usually works. Maybe she has some kind of immunity. Like an anti-cuteness repellent. You never know these days.

"Well," she began, licking the salt from the edges of my once-beautiful french fry. "Want it now?"

"Humph," I grumbled, shoving a part of my hamburger down my throat. Mmm, lovely, lovely food… It always makes me feel better no matter what mood I'm in. I should write it an ode someday.

"Hmm… What about Mamoru?" Minako brought up after thinking for a moment.

I spat out some of my hamburger at the mention of his name, which landed on the table and spattered onto Rei's brand new, fifty-dollar silk dress. "EWWW! You've _got_ to be kidding me! That creep doesn't deserve taking up space in my brain to think about it."

"I never thought I'd say this, but at least try to keep that food in your mouth, baka," Rei commented unhappily, wiping some stray chewn food off herself. I tried my best not to laugh at her.

"He's not that bad, Usagi-chan," Minako said. "In fact, I'd give him a ten. He's a model, you know! You can't honestly tell me you don't find him attractive in the least little bit."

"I find him to be about as attractive as the creature of the Black Lagoon."

"Weren't you dating him?" Rei added.

"Shut up!"

"She's got a point, Usa. He is really hot," Makoto said, supporting Minako's completely untrue statement.

"Yeah, this ditz here is just too idiotic to see that," Rei once again opened her big trap. They're all against me! Can't they see what a major jerk that guy is? Sure, I _guess_ he's good looking, but that's as far as I'm going.

"I am not!" I yelled back at Rei. "I just happen to hate his guts after endless teasing about my hair. He's so mean to me! Can't you guys see that?"

"Actually, I think it's funny," Rei said, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Of course you think it's funny," I grumbled under my breath, and got myself back to the matter at hand. "I don't get how you guys can sit here and tell me that creep is actually a _ten_!"

"Give us a break, Usagi-chan. The only reason you're saying that is because he teases you sometimes and you take it way too seriously," Rei told me, obviously never having any sympathy for my situation. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they conspired behind my back, formulating Odango-ridden jokes.

I let out a sigh. "Okay… So maybe he's good looking. Big deal. He's a model, he has to be, right?"

I waited for their response. Surprisingly, not one said a word. Before I could ask what was wrong, I noticed their eyes get wider as they looked past me.

"Good looking, huh?" was what I next heard in my ear, a deep voice that I knew all too well by now. My cheeks must've become a million different shades of red at the vibrating sound. Oh God, did he just hear that whole conversation? AND he heard that I called him attractive? Ugh, this is definitely turning out to be a _really_ bad day.

"What's your problem, Mamoru-baka? Don't have a life of your own so you need to eavesdrop on teenage girls and their conversations?" I asked him as a half-turned to look him square in the face. He displayed that infectious, wide grin that he always seemed to have in my presence, the one that would make me faint if he were another person, on a different planet, in an alternate universe.

"If it pertains to me, yes," he said smoothly, looking amused. His dark blue eyes seemed to dance under the fluorescent lights. Don't give in, Usagi, he may be good to look at, but remember the jerk comments. I refuse to let him distract me.

"Since I don't know what that means, I'm just going to say this: Go away now unless you want to be walking funny tomorrow."

He leaned over slightly, bringing the edges of our faces closer together. I could feel his warm breath fanning my skin… What does he think he's doing? I'll just glare at him until he goes away. Work, damnit, WORK!

"Are you threatening me, Odango Atama?" he asked, playing into this whole thinking I'm not serious thing. His attitude really got old sometimes. At least, that's what I told myself, which makes me wonder why I was even bothering to argue.

"No, I'm telling you that I want your babies… Of course I'm threatening you! Baka," I grumbled, sinking into my seat. Maybe he'd take the hint and leave.

"Are you sure you're not already pregnant, Odango? You seem to have a lot more food on your plate than usual," he said, using one finger to prod the side of my waist. "… and you aren't exactly a sight for sore eyes with that extra bulk packing on."

I snapped upward instantly, knees on my seat, fully facing him. This made him hover back a little, surprised by my quick movements.

"EXCUSE ME?" I yelled so loud that the whole arcade could hear, but damnit, I didn't care! How dare he say that!

"I AM _NOT_ FAT, YOU INSENSETIVE BAKA!"

"Calm down, Odango. I was just kidding," he held his hands up in defense, backing up a bit more. Gracefully, he sauntered to the other side of our table. What the hell is he doing?

"Excuse me, ladies, but I have some coffee to attend to. Have a pleasant evening," he stated in a stupid sugar coated way that made me sick to my stomach. Usually I like sugar, but not his kind. His kind made the knots in my stomach clench and made my palms itch to slap him across his poster-boy face.

With a few short strides, the jerk swiftly strolled away and sat at the long counter adjacent to our table, where Motoki was continually wiping down the already-clean surface. Of course my friends were in a daze from his charm. How come he's so nice to them and so mean to me? They didn't even notice what he said! I couldn't believe the nerve he had.

Well, I couldn't take something like that lying down, now could I? So I rose from my seat and stomped up to the counter, angrily plopping onto the seat beside him. He was reading his STUPID paper and sipping on his STUPID coffee and just being plain STUPID.

"You're such a jerk, you know that?" I burst out of nowhere, causing him to jump a bit, as if he hadn't noticed I sat down next to him. What, am I invisible or something?

"Whatever you say, Odango," he said passively, still thinking this was some sort of game.

"I'm serious!"

He turned away from the daily newspaper propped on the counter, his coffee cradled in both of his hands. He raised one of his eyebrows at me. Something tells me they've been waxed before; they looked too even. Stupid-ass pretty boy and his stupid waxed eyebrows…

"What are you talking about? You're never serious."

"Yes, I am!"

"Oh, really?" he asked, grinning. "When?"

"Well… I… err… There've been plenty of times! I just can't think of them right now!" I huffed, crossing my arms defensively.

He scoffed, taking a slow drink of his steaming coffee. Please, oh please let Motoki be a saint and tell me he somehow secretly strew drugs in the liquid. That way my wish of hitting him could be fulfilled and get away with it, no punishment needed. Maybe I might get away with dragging him to some stranded, blazing desert without any clothes on and just a tie in his hand, or a locked briefcase full of water or something. Yeah, the perfect plan…

"You're possibly the least serious person I've ever met in my life. Who truly spends all day whining, blowing off schoolwork, and playing video games at the arcade, then categorizes themselves as serious? I can almost guarantee those pigtails will still be in tact twenty years from now. I suppose you can't be taken too heavily though, you are still in high school."

"Why do you care, anyway?"

He shrugged and set his porcelain mug down. Damn, guess it didn't have any drugs in it. I would've loved Motoki forever if he actually did that.

"I don't, really," he waved me off easily with every intention of going back to his boring newspaper. "Just trying to give some helpful advice. Maybe you're too young to understand."

I clenched my fist. His words echoed my dad's, who never failed to lecture my clumsiness and inability to understand anything too "mature".

"Aww, is poor little Odango getting mad?" his lower lip poked out, forming into a mocking pout. Then it exploded.

"STOP CALLING ME ODANGO, YOU JERK!"

"Okay, Odango," he stated, still grinning. "Look, I'll tell you what, you stay in your own little world, and us grown-ups will go on with our lives in reality. Sound good?"

I gripped my hands so tight that I could almost feel the blood coming from the fingernails I was digging into my skin.

"I hate you," I whispered harshly, just loud enough for him (and no one else) to hear. My face was turned away, unable to express the anger I felt at that very moment with any words that would give the feeling justice.

All I know is, I got out of that damn place as quick as my feet would take me. I don't care if the girls were calling my name over and over as I sprinted out the door.

That's it… that idiot is gonna get his.


	2. Sweet Smell of Revenge

Wow, I got this chapter out pretty quick. It's a bit shorter than I wanted it, but hey, just getting into the plot. I got so many good reviews, and for just one chapter! Glad you all liked it and hope you like this one, too.

* * *

"Usagi-chan, I really must protest," Luna nagged me for the millionth time in the past two minutes. Ugh, she can get so annoying sometimes. Well, more like all the time. 'Don't do this' or 'Don't do that' or 'Putting that in the microwave is a bad idea'. How was I supposed to know that you can't microwave canned ravioli? But, oh no, nobody cares what I know or not. One little accident, _one_, of making half the kitchen light on fire and you're branded for life.

"Come on, Luna, it's not like I'm gonna do anything illegal," I told her. Well, at least I think I'm not going to.

"Using your powers for your own personal tiff with Mamoru is completely despicable," she continued, despite my resistance.

"So I'm using my powers for a little revenge, big deal. I'm Sailor Moon, for goodness sake! I should get some kind of reward for all my hard work instead of being nagged all the time."

"Hard work? Are you serious? All you do is run away from any youma we come in contact with or cry until they get so aggravated that they can't think straight," she shot back coldly. I can't help it if those monsters are scary! As much as I cry, I've never lost a battle. Even if I needed someone's help most of the time.

"Whatever," I told her, waving my hand in the air dismissively. I think I've had enough nagging for one day. "At least they would go away."

"No, they'd get angry and attack you."

"Same, difference."

"Are you still going through with this charade? The last time you used the pen, you transformed into a homeless person so you would be able to get some extra money at the expense of poor, unknowing civilians."

"Well, I wanted that stuffed bunny at the mall…"

"You ended up in jail," she told me sternly.

"The lady wouldn't give me anything! How was I supposed to know she was the daughter of one of the richest men in Tokyo?"

"So you decided to attack her with your sack full of dirty socks? Hardly a necessary retort."

I laughed as I remembered that, saying, "Yeah, did you _see_ the look on her face when that stray sock came flying at her head?"

"Usagi…"

"Okay, okay, I know. I learned my lesson. I'll never turn into a hobo again. Scout's honor." I held up two fingers in the air in a sort of salute, two crossed behind my back.

"You're not turning into anything unless it's senshi business. So just give me the pen, Usagi-chan," she said as she tried her best to jump from the bed and snatch the pen from my hand with her open mouth.

Swiftly, I moved the Luna Pen away from her reach, sticking my tongue out for a short second. Let's think… Should I transform into a martial arts master and kick his girl-teasing ass? Hmm, no, not good enough. I need something that'll not only hurt him physically, but will send him into the dark bowls of humiliation.

I got it! A huge grin formed on my face as I took a glance at the pink pen sent down from heaven, while Luna simply hung her head down in defeat.

"Just don't make _too _much a mess of things," she finally muttered. Ha, I win! Knew she couldn't hold out on her kitty rampage for long.

"I'll try not to," I said with a wink, Minako-style. Holding up the pen in the air for my transformation, I knew this was going to be one of the best days of my short young life.

* * *

Ugh, this was getting so annoying! That was the third guy that's whistled at me after I started walking down the street. Is it a crime to wear a mini-skirt? I don't think so! Okay, so maybe I should expect some kind of attention after transforming into a hot super-model, but come on! I wonder if the baka has to deal with stuff like this.

I couldn't believe my eyes after the transformation. I looked so different, it was weird. Tons of caked on make-up stained my face: eyeliner, shadow, and all. My uhhh… well, frontal region grew, along with my southern back region. My waist seemed to diminish in size, dipping downward to my now-wide hips. Then the stupid pen put me in this tight, lacey corset, not to mention heels. _Heels_. I could barely walk on the stable sidewalk in my normal, flat shoes, how am I expected to keep an even pace with two inches of height added to my feet?

When I strolled casually into the arcade (after tripping in these damn high heels about ten times), I spotted poor little Motoki standing there, wiping the counter down, as usual. I wonder if he uses the same rag all the time. I'd rather not know.

The boys, who were tapping so intently on the arcade buttons and glued to the game's monitor, rose their eyes to me, their mouths gaping open. What, have they never seen a girl before? Before I could get angry at their stares, I noticed Motoki's eyes weren't on the counter anymore, either. In fact, his hand, covered by the rag, seemed to stop in the half-circle it was making along the surface.

I took in a deep breath, knowing this performance would have to count.

"Hey, Motoki-onee-chan!" I greeted him cheerfully as I approached. It looked as if his words were stuck at the bottom of his throat.

"D-Do I know you?" he choked out. Motoki doesn't even recognize me? This is gonna be better than I thought! If Motoki doesn't know who I am, then Mamoru probably won't, either. Perfect.

"I've seen you in here before," I purred, slipping into one of the candy-apple red seats and casually crossing my legs. My moves must've worked; his face turned completely red, ear to ear.

"Um, excuse me for a minute…" he mumbled as he hurried into the back room. Poor guy, I didn't mean to fluster him. Hm, the baka should be here any minute now…

Just then I heard the familiar swooshing noise of the arcade doors. For some reason, I knew it was Mamoru, I have no idea how.

The jerk took a seat next to me, looking around for Motoki, who was already long gone.

Revenge: Round One.

"Hello Mamoru," I said in the same deepened voice, suppressing a giggle at the sound.

"Oh, hello… Do I know you?" he asked, looking confused. I guess this disguise worked better than I had hoped.

I faced the stupid jerkwad, glaring. "You don't remember me?"

"I don't think so…" He seemed to be searching his thoughts, but I wasn't sure why he looked so lost.

"Mamoru-chan, how could you forget me?" I asked, my tone going a bit deeper.

"You do look a little familiar…" he said warily, waiting for my reaction.

"That's right, of course I do! How could you forget that night we shared?"

His eyes nearly popped out of his sockets as continued, "I know I might've not been as good in bed as other girls you've been with, but didn't it mean anything to you?"

My voice was becoming louder and louder by the second. I made sure others around us could hear. A few heads turned at the scene I was making with my supposed lover.

Think dramatic, Usagi.

"Umm…" he stuttered, unable to meld his thoughts into words.

"I knew it!" I exclaimed suddenly, slamming my hand against the polished counter. Inwardly I apologized to Motoki; he spent so long making it clean.

"You love Tonoki, _don't you_? I know you had a… well, a _thing _for him, but why did you have to sleep with him, too?"

His mouth dropped open. Let's see… What, no fangs? Hm, I guess my vampire theory was out. I guess I could return that wood stake.

Snickers spread across the arcade, followed by hushed whispers. He glanced around the large room frantically.

"Miss, I think you have the wrong person," he told me calmly, though his hands were beginning to shake.

"No, I have the right person, Mamoru Chiba! Don't pretend you don't recognize me!"

"I really think you do. I don't know any 'Tonoki'—"

"Tonoki was in love with you, he already told me! Don't deny it!"

"Miss—"

"I know you love him! … Oh no. You weren't—Were you?" I asked, with tears in my eyes. Ha, I'm getting really good at this acting thing.

"What?" he asked, not sure exactly how to follow my story.

"You were just using me to even see if you _like_ girls, weren't you?"

"I—"

"Don't even bother explaining. Here's a little tip: Next time you lure someone in the bedroom, make sure you have some sort of idea how to please them."

His eyes were large, stunned, and still insanely blue. Before allowing him to slip in another word, I pushed myself off the stool and strolled away, heels clicking against the tile. In my head I concentrated very hard not to trip, not to ruin this glorious golden moment in Tsukino history.

After the two automatic doors closed silently behind me, I could've sworn I heard a torrent of laugher burst inside the arcade walls.

* * *

When I finally got into my room, sneaking past my parents and big-mouthed brother, I hopped onto my bed, legs crossed.

"Usagi-chan…" Luna said disapprovingly as she jumped beside me. Can't I get a moment to bask in my own glory?

"Don't worry, I'm done with using the Luna Pen for my own personal pleasure." I rolled my eyes.

She sighed in relief. "Good… but what exactly did you do?"

"Oh, just something I've been wanted to do for a long, long time," I told her, grinning evilly. "It doesn't have to do anything with you or the girls, so stop being such a worry wart."

"Tell me."

"Guess."

"I don't have time for these games, Usagi. Just tell me."

"Fine, geeze," I paused, wondering if the truth would be best. "I, well, went to the arcade and… errr, kinda yelled at Mamoru for uh… being gay, and using me to find out of he liked girls."

The corner of Luna's mouth twitched. I knew it; even the furball thought it was funny!

"That was a horrible thing to do," she attempted to make her voice sound as firm as possible, and failed.

"But it was funny."

"It was still horrible."

"… But it was funny."

She let out a long sigh, as if she was completely fed up with me. I've heard all this before. I don't need a broken record playing in my ear.

"You're hopeless."

"Hopelessly amazing."

"No, just hopeless."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "You're just jealous you could never concoct a brilliant plan like mine."

"Are you sure you didn't do anything else destructive that I should know about? Any burnt down houses or causes for general worldwide mass hysteria?" she questioned me, hiding that twitching grin thing that she does when she's trying not to laugh.

"Of course I'm sure! Can't you trust me for once?"

"No," she said as she sprang off the bed and scurried out of the window, going to God-knows-where. Don't even ask how I am or anything, no, just jump out of my two-story window without even so much as saying goodbye. See if I care when you come crying to me when you can't open your can of favorite tuna. Envy me and my opposable thumbs.

I pushed myself off the bed, adjusting the much too short mini-skirt again, tugging the fabric downward. Really, I have no idea how girls survive in these types of clothes. I'm not going to wait around to find out how much less I could breath with this corset pushed against my chest.

I grabbed the pen and held it steadily in the air. I closed my eyes, waiting for the de-transformation. I waited.

And waited.

"Okay, Usagi, just calm down," I told myself, unable to work up the courage to look at myself in the mirror. "Maybe I didn't really concentrate… Yeah, that's it! Now, lets try this again."

I did try again.

When I glanced down for the second time, the reality seeped into my brain.

Same skirt. Same waist. Same body.

In complete horror, I looked from the pen to the flesh this wretched stick had given me, my throat dry. It took me a minute to fully comprehend the situation, and finally I sank into the feeling of shock.

"Oh… my… God. I can't transform back!"


	3. Can We Say Problem?

I'm having fun writing this story, which is why I'm getting these chapters out so quickly. Once again, thank all of you for the reviews. They keep me writing. And especially to Alicia Blade, who wrote the first fanfiction that I ever read, and even today I still read that fic. Her stories are amazing, so if you haven't read them, then you should. Have fun reading this chapter and tell me what you think!

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Rei was saying as she put one of Makoto's delicious, warm chocolate chip cookies to her lips (and if you ask me, she doesn't need to eat anymore of those). "You got mad at Mamoru again for something stupid, decided to turn into a supermodel via the Luna Pen, went to the arcade, saw him there, called him gay in front of everyone, and found out you can't transform back to normal. Is that right?"

"Pretty much," I sighed. I _really_ didn't need the recap. Being stuck in this awful body was terrible enough.

"This has got to be the stupidest thing you've ever done, and that's saying a lot, Odango," she said as she shook her head, taking a huge chunk of the cookie into her mouth. I wanted one, but by the time I got here, they were all gone, aside from the one the dragon had pressed against her lips. You'd think they'd be more sympathetic toward someone in my position.

Need to come back with a snappy response. "Shut up, pyro!"

Okay… I guess I'm not feeling too creative.

"Yes, Rei-chan, calm down. This is a serious problem," Ami told her calmly, a hint of worry in her voice.

Makoto decided to cut in after Rei and I shot daggers at each other with our eyes, "Is it really that serious? I mean, I'm sure there's some sort of way she can transform back."

"I'm not exactly sure yet. I'm looking up some information on my computer. It should only take a few more minutes."

Ami was tapping away on that little blue computer keypad Luna had given her so many days ago. Why can't I get something useful like that? I guess the Luna Pen was just as good, but now look what it did to me! Maybe Luna rigged it or something. Stupid cat.

"Did you really do all that to Mamoru, Usa?" Minako nearly whispered to me as Ami continued searching, her eyes set firmly on the screen. "I mean, pretending you were Mamoru's supermodel girlfriend to tell him off with a fake story about him loving some other guy? Masterful."

At least _someone_ admires my skills. Out of the other four senshi, I could always relate to Minako the most. You could say she was more like a sister to me than anything else. I mean, she fit the part physically, and aside from her whole gorgeous supermodel thing, we could be considered twins. With all the mysteries surrounding our powers, it's possible.

"I know, wasn't it?" I replied happily, ignoring Rei's continuous dagger-filled glares.

"You _do_ realize that when he finds out it was you the whole time, you're dead?" Rei butted in, unable to keep her mouth shut for one solitairy second. I guess her remote has no 'mute' button.

"Which is why he won't find out! Duh. Do you think I'd be stupid enough to tell him that?"

She ignored my question, eyeing me. "By the way, I thought you told the pen to turn you into a supermodel."

"I did," I told her shortly, noticing the sarcastic layers in her tone. "For your information, I happened to get a lot of attention looking like this, thank you very much."

"Only because you have two watermelons laying on your chest."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "You just wish you had them."

"Yeah, right. I'm fine not looking like some depraved sex kitten."

"… Once I look up that word, you are in _so_ much trouble," I growled, practically seething my words through my teeth.

"How could you look it up? You'd probably get lost trying to find the dictionary," she said, grinning evilly.

"Enough bickering," Ami snapped suddenly, her eyes still glued to the tiny computer screen, which flashed in a reflection onto her soft face. "I think I've found something."

I gasped dramatically and cut in, "Luna's behind this, isn't she? ISN'T SHE?"

"Geeze, cool down so we can hear what she has to say," Rei yelled, rubbing the sides of her temples, as if she was in immense pain, probably over me. I'm used to that.

"No, Luna doesn't have anything to do with it. It seems as though a kind of powerful energy is somehow blocking your de-transformation or any kind of output power you might need to use, as far as your senshi powers. As a matter of fact, I found the energy source in the most unusual place… Normally, it would be held somewhere outside of our universe, and I wouldn't be able to pinpoint it, but it seems as though the energy is actually held on Earth. In this city, as well."

"Really? That's great! We can find the monster and kill it!" Makoto interjected, pounding her fist into her hand. Leave it to Makoto to be ready for action.

"It's not that simple, Makoto-chan. You see, the energy source is coming from a particular person…"

"Welllll…?" I dragged out after she paused, causing me to worry a tiny bit. "Who is it?"

"The energy source is emitting from Mamoru," Ami stated quietly.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" I shouted, nearly making the whole room shake from the high-pitched squeal of my voice.

Rei rolled her eyes at me and retorted, "No, she's kidding! What the hell do you think? Of course she's serious!"

"But… How?" Minako asked Ami, but she shook her head in response.

"The only possible solution I have is that… Mamoru is working for our enemy," Ami informed us. She sat at the head of the square table, looking noble as a queen might in her court. Whether she meant to or not, her head was held upward slightly, giving her a familiar, regal air. It always made me wonder why I was stuck with the task of leader when, in reality, my special skills were slim to none.

"You mean, I've been fighting with that jerk all this time, and _now_ you tell me he's our enemy? I could've kicked his ass when I had the chance!"

"We've got bigger problems than that, Odango!" Rei snapped in my direction, her face becoming grave in an instant. "If he really is our enemy and is blocking Usagi's power, then… Does that mean she can't transform into Sailor Moon, either?"

"Correct," Ami said as she snapped her mini-computer shut in her delicate hand. "Though, if he's able to do such a thing, then he must be pretty powerful; more powerful than any other enemy we've come across."

"You mean I don't have to fight monsters anymore?" I squealed at the good news. A super hero has it's advantages, but being my normal self surpassed anything else and, in the bottom of my heart, I really do wish my life were normal. I'd never admit those thoughts out loud, though.

"Not good, Usagi-chan," Minako told me. "If you can't transform, then you can't help us fight youmas, and you're the most powerful out of all of us."

"What are you talking about? We can handle those bastards on our own!" Rei exclaimed, leaving a sour expression on my face. She couldn't make her point more clear that our group without me would survive amazingly.

"Minako's right. We need her power to defeat them. I'm guessing we could fight for a short period of time, but after a series of fights, our powers would be drained fairly quickly and we'd be rendered… powerless," Ami informed us, her last word lingering in the toneless air.

"What are we supposed to do?" Minako asked, leaning her elbow on the table.

"Find out more information, I suppose. We can't attack unless we're completely sure. There is a possibility that Mamoru is being controlled unwillingly. If that's the case, attacking him would only result in an unnecessary civilian casualty."

"What are we gonna do if he is being controlled, then?"

"We'll have to cross that bridge if and when we come to it," Luna's voice appeared out of nowhere, and I turned, seeing her in the doorway. Oh, _now_ she decided to show up. It seemed completely unfair for her – a _cat_ – not only to lecture us on senshi business, but allow herself to be late to meetings, when I get yelled for one second of absence. I'd sue, but I doubt a jury would allow me to testify against a feline.

"For now, our main goal is to find out if Mamoru truly is an enemy or not. For the moment, we must execute a plan immediately to find out any necessary information on his status, as carefully as possible, of course."

"How are we gonna do that? Ask him?" My eyes narrowed at the heap of black fur that strolled casually toward our group, my tone turning sharp. " 'Oh, excuse me, Mamoru. Are you a power-hungry demon from the dark forces or do you only wear your fangs on the weekend?' "

"No," she said flatly, no more than a side-glance in my direction. "Any suggestions?"

Ami thought for a moment then said, "I checked on my computer and it seems there's some odd power emitting from his apartment that's different from the one he's holding. It's very interesting, to say the least. It's almost as if two conflicting forces were bound together, yet were vitally different in shape and substance. I've never seen anything like it, although I'm having trouble detecting if the energy is hostile or not."

"Should we check it out?" Makoto questioned. "It sounds pretty fishy to me."

"How? If any of us goes over there with no good reason, he'll suspect something for sure. We don't know him very well. We wouldn't be able to get past his front door, let alone study the inner workings of his apartment," Minako responded, more level-headed than usual.

I scanned the room steadily, their faces shrouded in deep thought. I took a moment to absorb it myself. Mamoru, an enemy? The two ideas didn't really seem to link. Asshole, maybe. Jerk, definitely… but a _monster_? His words could be comparable to acid, I'll admit, but he seems too careful, too intelligent to be put in the same category with the ugly creatures we fought. I'll always bind myself to these words: I hate Chiba Mamoru — possibly more than bean sprouts and definitely more than carrots — but he's no murderer.

"Are you guys sure about this?" I squeaked, so quiet I could barely hear my own words. I was surprised when their heads snapped in my direction. I wasn't about to defend the bastard, so I mumbled my lame excuse, "Maybe your computer has a bug or something."

"What, would you rather go sniff the place out for yourself?" Rei interjected, loud as ever. "Try your hand at being a tracking dog?"

"What did you say?" I rumbled, snarling at the black-haired priestess. Before I could submit into an all-out tyraid, the room suddenly fell into an eerie silence, much like earlier, only now each of my friends slowly began twitching their mouths, grins appearing. Did I miss something? Say the magic word?

"Usagi can't transform back…" Minako began steadily.

"So staying home would be out of the question…" Ami continued.

"And at the same time, we need someone to find out about Mamoru's energy…"

"And she needs a place to stay…" Makoto trailed off, making me feel like I missed some private joke. Slowly all the pieces began snapping in place, leading to a dark, damp place I refused to accept. I blocked the thought out of my mind. They wouldn't dare.

Rei, noticing my silence, slammed her hand up against the coffee table, causing me to jump. "God, you really _are_ clueless! They want you to go over there and stay in his apartment until you find out more information. Do I have to explain _everything_?"

"WHAT?" I nearly fell over onto the hard floor. Even though I was mentally prepared, my body was less than ready for the realization. "There's no way in hell I'm doing that!"

"Usagi-chan," Minako began coolly, calming my nerves a bit. "I know you're transformed into this—" she gestured toward my captive body "— but we really need to find out what's happening. I wish we didn't have to push you out into the line of fire, but this seems like the most efficient way, you know?"

Yeah, efficient my ass.

She barely noticed my mood turning sour. "Convince him you got a fabulous makeover by yours truly and my skills transformed — in more ways than one — you into a different person, physically. Apologize for what you did at the arcade after he realizes you're behind the whole chaos. Then start being all sad and dramatic and say how, when your dad saw you like this, he threw you out of the house for dressing so improperly. We all know that wouldn't be much of a lie, anyway. He'll eat it up."

"Minako-chan, he'll _so_ suspect something. You could run through the holes in that story with a three ton monster truck."

"Not if you act like you're completely broken over being thrown out of your house. He'll break down and ask you to stay. I know he will. He's good at heart, and we all know I'm amazing at sensing these things."

I tried my best to think of a way out of this mess, already knowing the battle was lost. "… Wait, did you say I have to _admit_ what I did to him? There's no way! That was the best prank ever! He'll kill me! And besides, even if it does work, what if he finds out I'm Sailor Moon? He'll literally kill me!"

"No, he won't. We'll all be on stand-by on our communicators. Don't worry about it, you'll be safe," Makoto assured me with fake confidence. Traitor.

I crossed my arms tightly against my chest, shaking my head so hard my hair whipped against my blush-covered cheeks. "Uh uh, there's absolutely NO WAY I'm going over to Mamoru's apartment. You hear me? I'd rather be tied to a lawn chair in a room with a bunch of human-hungry, foamy mouthed dogs. There is absolutely NO WAY I'm doing this."

* * *

I can't believe I'm doing this.

I breathed in deeply to relax my siffened muscles, but when the air escaped, butterflies filled my stomach. The holiest of unholy torments sat here, right behind this door: Mamoru. As nervous as the idea made me feel, the thought of him digging his nose into a pictureless book made the butterflies subside. A little.

_Knock, knock._

I heard some shuffling from behind the door, and before I could swallow another deep breath, a pair of ocean blue eyes caught my gaze. A pair of light gold-rimmed glasses were propped on the nape of his nose, his weight shifting to the side as he tucked an enormous book under his arm.

"You're that woman from the arcade," he said in realization, a tinge of anger forming in his voice. Well, I guess greetings are out nowadays. Not that I deserved a friendly greeting.

"Mamoru, we need to talk. I, uh, I'm not who you think I am," I told him.

"Who are you, then?"

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

I scratched the back of my neck, moving around from the ball of my foot to my heel nervously. "Err… I'm… Usagi."

The next thing I heard was laughter. I looked up at him, glaring. "Hey, I am!"

"Sure you are. Look, miss, I really don't have time for this. I know you think I'm someone you know, but really, I assure you I'm not. So if you'll excuse me…"

"Don't you DARE close this door on me, Mamoru-BAKA!"

He blinked. Okay so I exploded a teensy bit. I couldn't help it.

"Did you just call me Mamoru-baka?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I called you the Queen of the Fucking Nile. Of course that's what I called you! That's what I _always_ call you!"

He seemed to be thinking as he stared at me for a long time. Maybe longer than I wanted. I shifted my eyes around a bit. Man, what's taking him so long to answer? I knew it, this isn't going to work. Damn them and their stupid ideas.

"Come in. We do need to talk," he said finally, leaving the door open as he calmly walked away.

SCORE! I'm in.

After I settled in on the couch, he continued to stare at me curiously, sitting on one of the chairs next to his couch. Man, he was LOADED. Leather sofa, full surround sound system complete with a HUGE wide-screen television set, and not to mention a really expensive-looking laptop laying on the coffee table in front of me. I don't know, though. The room looked really… dull. There was just black and gray plastered from each corner to the other. He really needs to add color to this place. Maybe a flower painting or two.

"Care to explain how this happened?" he asked me, snapping me out of my distraction.

"Well… You really annoyed me. I mean, a lot more than usual. So… I asked Minako to… you know, make me over. So she did and I turned out to look completely different, with the clothes and the tons and TONS of make-up. Then I came up with a plan to humiliate you by pretending I was one of your old supermodel girlfriends, since I guess you've had a lot of them, and yeah."

"I still have a hard time believing you're Usagi. Especially with… those," he pointedly eyed downward a bit, causing me to blush.

"Um… Wonder bra. It works magic."

He looked doubtful. "I don't know, it all seems like a practical joke to me…"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm _not_ joking?"

"Tell me something only she would know."

"Uhh, you always call me Odango Atama."

"Anyone would know that."

"You're best friends with Motoki?"

He shook his head, sighing, "Any half-witted stalker could figure that out too."

"You think I'm a stalker?" He's got to be kidding. There's no way I'd waste my time stalking HIM. What could possibly be interesting about him? Reading books all day and sleeping? If I were to stalk someone, not saying that I _would_, but I'd go for Motoki, definitely.

"I'm not doubting it right now."

'Oh, I'm not DOUBTING it right now'. He thinks he's all high and mighty talking like that, well, BUZZ! Guess what? He isn't!

"WILL YOU JUST BELIEVE ME, BAKA?"

He rubbed his chin, saying, "Well… You seem to resemble her, in a lot of ways. Especially the yelling and the childish antics."

Okay, I'm going to ignore that comment.

"Exactly! I just, err… I always hide myself under my baggy clothes, so this is what I really look like. Besides, can't you recognize my voice? I changed it earlier at the arcade and made myself sound more adult, and now… it's back to normal. You see?"

He thought for another moment. "I suppose I can believe that."

Thank the Lord. He seemed so calm, though. How weird. I thought he'd be yelling at me by now for pranking him.

"You're… not mad that I did that to you?"

"Not really. I'm in a charitable mood. Besides, I guess I deserved what you did, MAYBE, but don't ever do anything like that again, okay? I prefer to keep my reputation the way it is."

"Deal. I have to ask, though… Are you?"

He raised a (waxed) brow at me. "Am I what?"

"Gay."

He seemed as if he was choking on air, and I tried my best not to laugh at him. Man, maybe he IS.

"Of course I'm not!"

I crossed my arms, grinning, "Oh, really? Then why haven't I seen you with any girlfriends, lets say, EVER?"

"I don't have time for a girlfriend. School can be very overwhelming."

"A likely story."

"I don't have to prove anything to you, Odango."

"Fine, fine, your royal gayness. I'll let it go."

He decided to take the attention off me by saying, "Did you _really_ have to wear THAT thing, though, for you little prank?" he asked, gesturing to my outfit with his gaze.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's a little… revealing."

"What, you like it too much?" I asked teasingly, rolling my shoulders a bit.

He scoffed. "Hardly."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" My voice was rising. Ugh, here he goes again, insulting me. I thought he'd be nice to me for once, but NO, of course not.

"It means that you should really cover yourself up. I don't need to see what you have to offer."

THAT JACKASS! I swear to God, if I wasn't helping out the girls, I'd be yelling SO MUCH right now! No, no… I need to stick to the plan. Need to be sad. Time for some more of my famous acting skills that have so far gotten me my computer and lavish quilted moon crescent bedcovers. My parents aren't ones to be fooled easily, either.

I dropped my gaze to the ground slowly, my face dropping to a dramatic melancholy look. Ami taught me that word. The only reason I remember it is because it reminds me of melons. Food… Need food…

"Mamoru, all teasing aside… I… My dad… He threw me out of the house, because I came home looking like this. He… He said that he wouldn't be the father of a slut," I attempted to say, tears held in my eyes. I put my hand over my mouth, closing my eyes so a little bit of the tears spilled out. Peeking through one of my eyes, I noticed him leaning forward in the chair, his face held in concern.

"Usagi… I'm sorry…"

Wait, did he just call me Usagi? How weird is that? He NEVER calls me by my real name. He must REALLY believe all that junk. What a sap. Then again… I feel kind of bad for fooling the jerk. He looked so worried.

"I don't…" I sniffled, "know what to do anymore. I can't get a hold of any of my friends, and… I… I just had nowhere else to go."

That's when I burst out into a fit of tears. I placed my hands over my eyes, sobbing. Wow, I'm getting so good at this. Maybe next time I could pull this act for a car. When I can actually learn to drive without hitting unknown pedestrians, that is.

I could feel his hand lay on my bare shoulder. Jumping a bit, I looked at him. He was now sitting next to me, obviously concerned. He actually bought it.

"Don't worry, Usagi. Everything will be all right."

"But… I don't have anywhere to go…"

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you'd like… You can stay here until you can talk to one of your friends," He was actually being… nice. I've never, _ever_ seen him be like that before and all over me being sad? I should do this more often. He must really feel sorry for me. Either way, he _was_ being nice. I felt bad for taking advantage of him, but hey, this WAS senshi business, after all.

I sniffled again for effect. "Are… you sure? Thank you so much..."

I smiled, and it wasn't even fake. I doubt he'll be this nice for long, since I'll most likely get on his nerves pretty quickly, but hey, at least it was good while it lasted.

"Don't worry about it."

And so my stay with the all-mighty Mamoru Chiba begins.


	4. Your Bed or Mine?

So many reviews… I think it's time I answer a few of them personally. So, here goes.

**PixiePam:** Right now, she's going to stay like this, but I promise you she's going to become somewhat maturer throughout the story. Thank you, though!

**Alicia Blade:** Thanks! Haha, glad I caught you by surprise. You did, too, when you commented on my story. I mean, I've admired your writing style for a long time, but I know I'll never be as good as you. -Bows down-

**mary-v:** You must really like my story! Don't worry, I love long comments. Ones with just "Update!" aren't nearly as good. And don't worry, you'll be finding out about how Usagi's power is being blocked soon enough…

**Issa:** Thank you! I was thinking of the exact same thing. In my old story, she would call him that, but I wasn't sure if I should bring it in. So… You got your wish. ^_^

And thanks to the rest who have reviewed! Feel free to give me ideas, even say how bad it is, if you want. Haha, hope this chapter isn't too short. Have fun!

* * *

I hid away in the bathroom as soon as I could get away from Mamoru. He offered me some tea (still in that nice phase after me going into the water works) and went into the kitchen, thankfully. I was about to call one of the girls with my communicator, but something beckoned me. Let's call it "The Sanctuary of Mamoru Chiba". Also known as his medicine cabinet. Who KNOWS what wonderful treasures could possibly be held in there? Well, _I_ will now!

Giggling to myself, I sneaked over to the sink and opened the cabinet door. Hmm, let's see… Shaving cream… Cologne that smells like roses… Not that I smelled it or anything. Deodorant… Vitamins… AHA, I KNEW IT! Wax! HAHAHA, I'll have to tease him about that later… Hmm, boring, boring, boring… Uh, a tampon? I don't even wanna know... Toothpaste, some kind of weird medicine, herbal tablets, floss, mouthwash... Damn, the guy sure is obsessive about cleaning his mouth. Probably for all his girlfriends… or boyfriends.

When I decided I did enough snooping (In other words, I couldn't find anything else worthwhile), I took out my communicator and pushed the button to dial Minako. I really didn't feel like talking to Rei, so she's the first that came to mind. Her face came up on the tiny monitor.

"Hey, girl! Did it work?" she asked me.

"Yeah, it worked. I couldn't believe it. I mean, my story sounded really weird and unbelievable, but I broke down and started crying, just like you said. Then I fed him that story about my dad kicking me out. Worked like a charm, my friend. I really need to get into acting."

"Hey, that's my department! Anyway, Ami already called you parents and said you needed a lot of extra studying help, so you're just sleeping over at her house for the week. Then Rei called your school and said you'd be out for the week. Something about the Mandarin flu."

"Uh, Mandarin flu?"

"Doesn't matter, they bought it."

"Wait, so I don't even have to go to school?" I asked her excitedly, trying to keep my voice down. "This is better than I thought! And here I was thinking it'd be complete torture staying here with that jerkwad."

"Come on, it won't be so bad," she assured me.

"Well, right now it won't be. He's all soft because I was crying."

"Told ya."

"I have a problem, though. He thinks I'm only gonna stay here until I get a hold of one of you guys…"

"WHAT?" she practically shouted.

I shushed her and glanced at the door, in a voice slightly louder than a whisper, "Hey, don't yell at me! He's the one that said it!"

"Okay, okay… Let's think… Oh, I've got it! Say that you called all of us, but your dad checked all of our houses to make sure you weren't hiding out there, since he knows all of us. Then start crying again and he'll say you can stay. I know it'll work."

"Man, Minako-chan, where do you come up with these ideas?"

She grinned and said, "Daytime soap operas. Now, try and get some information! Call us if you have trouble. He might smell something suspicious and attack, if he's actually evil, anyway."

My eyes grew wide. "ATTACK?"

"Hang in there!" she exclaimed quickly, and her face faded away from the screen. Oh, sure, easy for you to say. You're not staying with some potentially psychopathic youma that could attack you at any moment. Yeah, hang in there. RIGHT.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, making me jump nearly a foot in the air. Then his voice came from the other side of the door, "Hey, Odango, you in there?"

Oh, I see, _now_ it's Odango.

"Y-Yeah." Damn, did he hear me talking? I'd be in _so_ much trouble if he did.

"Are you okay? Trip over anything?" That was so funny. Too bad I FORGOT TO LAUGH. Idiot. I have to still be in my "I'm-so-sad" state, so I can't yell at him. Yet.

"No…"

"Well, I went to get some tea, and you were just gone. Did something happen?"

Okay, now, give good excuse. "I, uh, had… to… wash my… arm."

Smooth, Usagi. Real smooth.

"Your arm?" he asked me skeptically. Oh, God, I'm already blowing it.

"Yeah, it had dirt on it… or something."

"Okay…" he said slowly, then I finally heard him walk away. WHEW, that was a close one! I gotta be more careful from now on. Better use the communicator when he's not around.

"Are you sure?" I asked into the phone, still only the long, beeping tone for the fourth time. This was getting really, REALLY annoying. I mean, I did have to pretend I was calling all the girls, but MAN. Talk about boring. "Okay… Bye."

Dejectedly (Another word Ami taught me), I set the phone down and sighed dramatically. I took a seat next to Mamoru, who was, of course, reading some huge book, just like Ami reads. Maybe they should get together. That'd be so cute! Besides the fact that he's a stupid jackass and I'd kick his ass if he even got within two feet of her, that'd be cute.

"Same thing with Rei. My dad called her house to make sure I wasn't there. I mean, I would stay there, but my dad might go over to their houses. I'd be SO dead, then. He was trying to send me to my grandma's house, but I went away before he could do that."

"What's so bad about that?"

"My grandma… Isn't the nicest person in the world." Actually, my grandma plays bingo all the time and gives me cash every holiday, but hey, another little lie won't do any harm.

"Oh, I see," he said.

To continue my drama, I threw my head back and let out another sigh. Now, time to do my magic.

"I'm sorry, Odango," he told me. He's still being nice, sure, but does he HAVE to call me that? No, I didn't think so.

"I know…" I trailed off, bringing tears into my eyes. Squeezing them shut, I forced one out so it fell down my cheek, just in his view. "I don't know what to do… He knows all of my friends. I don't have anywhere to go… I can't bear to go to my grandma's house. I'm not going through all that again."

There was a long silence. I could only hear both of us breathing. What's he thinking? And whatever he's thinking about, what's taking him so long? Please, PLEASE say you'll let me stay with you…

"What about Motoki?" he asked out of nowhere. Oh crap.

"Uhhh… Motoki… Well, you see, uhh… My dad, well, knows about Motoki, too. I mean, yeah, he knows where he lives and stuff… I think we were driving by one time and I told him." Ooh, now I'm getting better with this lying thing. I think.

"Oh, that's too bad," he said, then continued thinking silently. Come on, I've got the hook, now I've just gotta reel him in. "I… don't know what to tell you."

What, no offer for me to stay? This is gonna take a little more than I thought. Time to do some serious acting.

"It's okay, Mamoru," I whispered, trying not to start choking myself by actually calling him by his real name instead of jerkwad. Slowly, I stood up off the couch and glanced out of the huge window that looked out on the whole city. "I'll… find somewhere to go. I hope."

For effect, I let a tiny tear fall down my cheek. I continued to look out onto the city, waiting. Okay, you can stop me at any time… Aaaany time now… Come on, man, I'm not waiting here ALL DAY.

"Wait, Usagi…" he stopped me, _finally_, and paused. "You… can stay here, if you'd like."

BING! And the best actress award goes to… USAGI TSUKINO! Hook, line, and sinker!

"I… I can?" I smiled brightly and pulled him into a huge hug. Wow, dunno where that came from. Probably because I was so happy it worked. He patted my back awkwardly, and I let him go in an instant, still smiling.

"Thank you so much! I'll get one of the girls to get my stuff."

"Sounds good."

And once again, I win.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeeeease?"

"I said no."

"… Please?"

"For the last time, Odango, you CANNOT take my bed!" he nearly shouted at me, then got his tone under control. Man, take a pill or something. "I mean, I have important tests tomorrow. I need a good night's sleep."

"But I need my beauty rest…"

"Believe me, you'll need a LOT of sleeping then," he said, laughing at his own unfunny joke.

"Ooh, you creep! Just for that, you owe me your bed!"

"Nice try, Odango, but like I said, I need my rest. If there was a way we could both get a good night's sleep, that'd be fine, but it's not gonna happen."

"But there is! I'll just sleep with you."

I could see I caught him off guard with that one. He looked like he was about to choke on something he had eaten. Haha, he almost looks cute when his cheeks turn all red like that. _Almost_.

"That would be completely unethical."

I blinked and flopped down on the couch, my arms wrapped around my fluffy pink pillow. Ami had come over earlier to drop off some clothes and other stuff I needed. Right now I was in a light pink tank top and matching boy shorts that only came down to my upper thigh. When dear little Mamoru saw me in it, I thought he was gonna have a heart attack. So much for being subtle. Damn those male hormones… At least that proves he isn't gay.

"Un-whatical?" I asked him. He sighed and shook his head at me. Well, I can't help it if I don't know what that means! Give me a break. Not ALL of us can be all smart and go to rich, smart universities.

"It means dishonest or unlawful," he told me all snootily. Know-it-all…

"Geeze, baka, you make it sound like we're gonna have sex or something."

Once again, he turned a little red, but quickly returned with a stupid, cocky comment, as usual, "What made _that_ come to mind?"

I shrugged and picked mindlessly at the frilly edge of my pillow. "I dunno, that's just what 'unlawful' made me think of."

"You sure that's the only reason?"

"… You don't think… EW, that's _so_ gross! Don't even _suggest_ that!" I said, shivering at the thought.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yeah, it is! That'd be like… doing it with Satan. And I really don't feel like going to hell anytime soon, thank you very much."

"Other than the fact that it's completely impossible to 'do it' with Satan, why even compare me to something horrible like that?"

"Uh, because you're the exact replica of the Devil?" I questioned him innocently, smiling.

"I resent that."

"Whatever you say, Satan."

"Don't call me that," he grumbled.

"Aha! I see how it is. So YOU can call me Odango, but _I_ can't call you anything? That's really stupid and unfair."

"Live with it."

"Don't have to, Satan."

"Will you quit calling me that?" he asked me, obviously very annoyed at me right now. Good. Now he knows how it feels.

"Okay."

He eyed me for a moment. I paused and finally said, "Satan."

"ODANGO!"

"SATAN!"

I begin laughing at the frustrated look on his face, holding my stomach in laughter. When I calmed down, he gave me the evil eye. I just poked my tongue out at him.

Then I decided to bring up the subject again. "Well, can I sleep in your bed?"

"For the final time, you just can't. Drop it."

"Come on, it's a big bed. You won't even know I'm there, scout's honor."

He raised a brow at me. "You were a Girl Scout?"

I scratched the back of my neck and mumbled, "Well, no… But if I was, you'd have my honor."

"Odango…"

"I'll give you a cookie."

"No."

"… A big cookie."

"NO."

"_Why_ _nooot_?" I whined, giving him my best pout as I stuck out my lower lip and mashed up my cheeks so they'd look bigger. This always worked with my dad. Might as well try it on him. Okay, so I was a baby then, but still…

"Well… I… You just can't, all right?"

"Give me a good reason and I'll shut up."

"I highly doubt that."

"Stop acting all smart."

"I don't have to act."

I rolled my eyes and grumbled, "Idiot…"

"Case settled, then. I sleep in my own bed, you sleep on the couch, got it?" he asked me, crossing his arms. He was wearing some sort of silk black robe. Ew, maybe he'd naked under there. Seeing him naked would be just about as bad as me walking in on my brother… Taking care of himself. Believe me, I would NOT wanna relive that moment.

"Your bed is so big, though. Why can't I?"

"Are you EVER gonna give this up?"

"Probably not."

He let out a long sigh.

We both stopped talking for a couple minutes. I had no idea why, but we kept looking around the room, making me think he was nervous for some reason. Why, though? Made no sense. All I wanted to do is sleep in a comfortable bed instead of a lumpy couch. Is that too much for a girl to ask? I didn't think so.

After what seemed like a very long time, my voice squeaked out, "… Please?"

"ODANGO!"


	5. The Odango Haired Devil

Wow, it's been a long time. Miss me? Anyway, I'm back, and hopefully you all aren't mad at me? Maybe? So here's the new chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I love them!

Tell me if you like it! Much love! – Hugs –

* * *

Blinking my eyes open, I saw a completely white ceiling in front of me. Where the hell was I? Was I kidnapped and now was held in a weird sort of prison in Sweden? Who would want to kidnap a cute, loving, innocent girl like me? Then it hit me. I was in Mamoru-baka's ugly apartment. Sitting up, I grinned. Last night we must've argued for hours, but I finally convinced him to give me the bed for tonight ONLY. Even though I know I'll get it again. I mean, come on, even the great, all mighty Chiba can't resist Tsukino Usagi's super-wonderful POUT OF DOOM.

Wow, this whole room is really boring. White, white, and, what a surprise, MORE WHITE. Personally I'd love to go around painting each wall a hot pink color, but I figured giving the baka a heart attack wasn't a smart option.

I ran my tongue along the ridges of my teeth, feeling how bumpy and gross they were. Ugh, I hate not brushing. Pushing myself up, I rummaged through my bags.

"Shirt, shirt, shoe, snack…" Glancing around, I quickly snuck a bite of the delicious chocolate chip cookie and continued, "Foundation, eyeliner, stuffed bunny, pants, skirt… There's no toothbrush?"

Trudging my way into the bathroom, I glanced fearfully at the one thing holding me from having a minty fresh mouth… Mamoru's toothbrush. Slowly, I picked it up. I searched for any kind of speck of food in the bristles. Eww, this is so gross… He could have some sort of weird, Tropical disease. What if I get it? Is it worth risking my own young life? Ergh… Guess I have no choice. I placed the toothpaste on it and began to brush it along my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut. This is not Mamoru's toothbrush, this is not Mamoru's toothbrush, this is NOT Mamoru's toothbrush…

Quickly, I spat the really gross liquid out of my mouth. Then I checked my skin. Okay, no weird coloration or bumps… Good sign. My eye caught sight of the clock. It was only noon? What the hell? Usually I'll sleep in to two or three in the afternoon… How weird. After about ten minutes of making weird faces in the mirror (don't tell me you don't do it), I sauntered out of the bathroom.

"Time for some munchies," I told myself. I looked through all the cupboards and didn't find much, mostly weird nutrition bars, which I'd never, EVER eat, and cereal. So I grabbed the cereal (which also was some sort of nutrition-filled thing, but it wasn't so bad), and hopped onto the barstool that was in-between the kitchen and living room. It was pretty cool, like a counter that separated them so you could see into the other room. Probably for a party thing, not that he'd ever have any kind of party.

Looking down, I saw a note was scribbled on a plain yellow Post-It, which said:

"_Odango—_

Tried to wake you up, but figured you'd get up soon enough and would go to school. I'll be back around six. Make yourself dinner.

— _Mamoru"_

WHAT A JERK. Not ONLY did he risk me not going to school (which didn't matter anyway since I'm "sick"), but he's expecting me to make dinner for myself, too. Oh yeah, because I'm sure I have so many options in this lovely joint you call an apartment. What's our dinner menu? Ohh, let's see, a nutrition bar, or maybe uncooked eggs? Choices, choices.

Well, I have six hours to kill. Why not snoop around a bit? Maybe I'll find some sort of clue to see if he really is our enemy…

Eh, screw it, I just wanna look through his stuff.

"Aww, he was so cute as a baby…" I trailed off, now halfway through rummaging in a box of photos under his bed. He had on a sailor's hat and was grinning toward the camera. He looked so innocent. Well, good things never last, I guess. I skipped a few pictures forward, showing him now as around my age, only he looked really… sad. Not smiling like all the other baby pictures and even the background looked like a prison. I found another picture where he was slightly younger, still with a gloomy look on his face. Then I skipped some more, seeing baby pictures, where he was all smiles. Something must've happened to him between those times… But what?

I pushed the box back under his bed and tied my hands behind my neck, strolling back into the living room. It was completely trashed. Pillows thrown on the floor, physics and chemistry books scattered around, cereal boxes spilled on the couches. Hey, it's the only so-called food he had here I'd actually eat. Guess that was my dinner, but I'm still huuungry…

Deciding to do more prying, I searched through his shelf. Books, books, papers, books… Hmm, what's this? I could feel devil horns grow through my head as I ran my finger against the holiest of all the items: his laptop, hidden in a black leather briefcase. Tee hee…

Carefully, I placed the black rectangle onto the coffee table in front of the couch, after brushing away some stray cereal pieces in my way of sitting down. It took me a couple minutes to figure out how to open the damned thing. Turns out there were two tiny buttons on the side that made the screen pop up, but I always figured you just had to force the top part open. Who knew.

"How do you work this thing?" I asked it, hitting every button in sight, not seeing the screen light up. I began bashing my hand against the little letters, and finally, it turned on.

"THANK YOU JESUS."

It only took seconds, but soon I began clicking on random things on the desktop, finding really, REALLY boring assignments for his classes, on stuff I'd never want to learn. It's like, who cares about how the heart works? I really don't. Hmm, what's this? I clicked on something labeled "private" (and honestly, if that's what it's called, you know I'm gonna look at it), but some dumb little box came up, saying I needed a password. YOU DUMB COMPUTER, LET ME SEEEE. I crushed random letters and entered them, but another REALLY dumb box came up, saying "Password incorrect". What the hell, man? Are you TRYING to torture me? Now I _really_ wanna know what's on here.

What would he use as a password? Hmm… Think, Usagi, think…

Password: clean

PASSWORD INCORRECT

Password: black

PASSWORD INNCORRECT

Password: school

PASSWORD INCORRECT

Password: baka

PASSWORD INCORRECT

Well, I couldn't resist guessing that... Let's see, what would he use? I looked around the apartment, then something caught my eye. Maybe…

Password: roses

PASSWORD ACCEPTED

YES, I'm in. The folder maximized and opened into a bigger window, leaving my mouth agape at the sight. There, laying right in front of my eyes, was pictures and pictures and pictures of…

**PORN**.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD, this is the funniest thing I've ever seen! The all-mighty, boring, unbelievable know-it-all had PORN in his computer. I doubled over laughing, clutching my stomach, the laptop nearly falling onto the floor. HAHA, I think I'm gonna have a heart attack…

Finally I got over my laughter, which took oh, only about twenty minutes, and began rummaging through the porn. Haha, porn… It wasn't too bad, actually. One time Ami and I were on her computer looking up research for our report, and this huge pop-up came up of some guy's… 'area', with some girl… licking it. Ewwwww. And the dumb thing wouldn't close, either! More just kept coming up! They were all really, REALLY gross, too. How could anyone actually _like_ that crap? We just turned off the computer after awhile. But the stuff Mamoru has… It's kinda nice. Two people in underwear kissing on a bed, two having sex, two girls doing it (surprise, surprise), but none of it showed too much. How weird. Even the guy's _porn_ is sophisticated. Hm, never would've guessed.

"Odango…" Mamoru's deep, aggravated voice came to my ears. Uh oh. Slowly, my eyes met his, seeing his face turn to a bright red color, his hand clutching the door handle so hard I think he might break it if he wasn't careful. Boy, he looked pissed. Maybe going through his stuff wasn't such a good idea? Hm, no, I think it was well worth it.

Scratching the back of my head, I saw him look at the computer, then at me, at the computer, then back at me, his face growing a deeper shade of red. Hopefully he's more embarrassed than mad, which I doubt, but hey, a girl can dream.

"Well, you see, there's a funny story about this…" I started off lamely, still seeing him clutching the door handle, looking like he could attack at any moment. Is that a huge, bulging purple vein in his forehead? Yep, it is. Maybe it'll burst and he'll be rushed to the hospital and won't be able to yell at me.

"What… have you done?" he managed to choke out, glancing down at the floor. Oh yeah, the mess. Forgot about that.

"Err… Well… I was bored! What did you expect me to do? Sit here and watch TV all day? Yeah right."

He let his book bag fall onto the ground, then stomped up to me, shut the laptop quickly and set it back in it's place. He stood there for awhile, fuming, his intense blue eyes glaring hatefully at me. What? It's not like I stole his wallet or anything. I didn't find it anyway… Crossing my arms, I pouted fully, looking up at him with my (hopefully?) innocent eyes.

"How'd you get in there?" he asked suddenly, his face still red as a tomato.

"Well, you just LEFT the thing out in your briefcase. And, no offense or anything, but your password isn't exactly the most creative thing ever. I mean, '_roses_'? Come on now."

"Shh!" he glanced around, as if some secret agent man was lurking around, waiting for the password to be said aloud. Pfft. "You want all of Tokyo to hear?"

I grinned. "Oh, you mean your LAPTOP PASSWORD, which happens to be ROSES?"

"SHUT UP, ODANGO!" he shouted, nearly breaking my eardrums.

"You don't have to yell, BAKA!"

"It's MY apartment, I can do what I want! Besides, _you're_ yelling too! So quit it!"

"NO!"

"I said quit it!"

"YELL, YELL, YE-LL!" I mocked him, sticking my pink tongue out in his direction.

I could see him roll his eyes. "Very mature."

"Shut up, Satan."

"I told you not to call me that!"

"And you actually thought I'd _listen_?" I asked, laughing a bit

"My apartment, my rules."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"Watch it," he told me, a serious tone held in his voice.

"Or what? You're gonna tie me to a chair and force me to watch PORN?" I questioned him as I burst out laughing, his cheeks tinting pink.

"Oi, that was none of your business!"

"Your point?"

"It was private! Why do you think I had a password to protect the folder?"

"Hey, hey, guess what...?" I gestured with my head for him to lean down. Still skeptical, he did, and I took a long pause and whispered in his ear, "Porn."

I went into a fit of giggles. He let out an exaggerated sigh, hanging his head down. "I give up."

Then it was silent for a long time, neither of us saying a word.

"So… What's for dinner?"

* * *

After much arguing and pleading, I got him to order us some Chinese food. The prawns tasted like fried cow's brains, but the rice and everything else wasn't too bad. We sat on the newly-cleaned couch, which he MADE me clean up, and watched some weird program on TV about the life of praying mantis. Uhh, right, let's watch some program on some weird insect when we could VERY easily be watching a mushy romance show. But no. Let's watch about how two humongous green bugs mate, and the female eats the male afterwards. That part was pretty funny, though. I almost spit out a mouthful of rice when the announcer said that, while Satan just looked annoyed. Yeah, that's right, if YOU were a praying mantis and mated with me, I could eat you. HAHA. That'd be the greatest thing ever. Except for the mating part. I'd probably say, "Wow, you really sucked" and start chowing down.

Good thing I had food in my mouth, or else I'd fall asleep. It went into all this really boring stuff that I didn't care about, but there the baka was, watching so intently like it was actually interesting. Which is _wasn't_.

"Satan, can we watch something else?" I finally asked.

"No," he said simply, not even bothering to argue with me calling him his nickname.

"Why noooot?"

"My apartment—"

"My rules. Yeah, yeah, I know, but come on… I've seen film strip from the '50's about the menstrual cycle that were more interesting than THIS."

He glanced down at his plate full of rice and colorful veggies, taking down a huge gulp. "I think I just lost my appetite."

I giggled. "Serves you right."

He started to flip through the channels grudgingly, one boring show after another.

"Ooo, Mega Tokyo! I love this show!" I gushed, stars spinning in my eyes.

"Uh, Odango, this is just a useless show filled with media garbage about skinny, fake pop singers that'll go out of style in two weeks," he lectured, but I didn't listen to a single word.

"Shh… I can't hear what they're saying!"

"Odango!"

"SHHHH!"

He sighed loudly, defeated.

We watched the show for awhile, then all of a sudden, I asked, "Hey, Satan, why do you live alone?"

He shrugged slightly, pushing his fork along a few grains of rice. "Dunno. Never needed a roommate because I make enough money, I guess."

"What about a girlfriend?" I pried, elbowing him gently, the bright red horns returning atop my head.

He let out a small laugh, which surprised me. I don't see him laugh too much, but he looked a lot better when he did. "Nah, don't have enough time. I told you that, remember?"

"Come on, don't give me that. There has to be some hot chick at your school that you're dying to go out with. And you're not completely unfortunate looking… You could snatch a date pretty easily."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. "Plenty of girls want to go out with me, thank you very much. I just happen to not like any of them."

"Maybe you really are gay," I told him, gulping down some more food. He nearly choked on his, his eyes bulging out of his head.

"WHAT?"

Shrugging, I said, "Well, if you don't like girls, maybe you like guys. Only a helpful suggestion."

"I _like_ girls, just not the ones that have asked me out."

"So no hot crushes, huh?"

He eyed me silently. "Well… Maybe one."

My head snapped in his direction, like Minako, loving to hear about gossip. I got on my knees and began shaking his arm, making his whole body gyrate. "Oh my God, really? I want to know! Who is she, who is she?"

"Geeze, calm down," he told me, forcing my grasp away. "You wouldn't know her."

"So, who cares? I just wanna know! Pleeeeeease?" I begged, pouting as best as I could. "At _least_ tell me what she's like."

He looked like he was thinking, then let out a light sigh, his deep blue eyes rolling up so they stared at the white ceiling, having a almost dreamy look to them. "Well… she's wonderful. Caring, graceful, strong, everything I'd want in a girl. She always takes time to help everyone around her in so many ways and has a certain air that makes her almost… regal. Not only does she have all those traits, but she's remarkably gorgeous. She has soft glowing hair that I'd die for just one touch, and gorgeous eyes that make me want to melt… but…"

"What?" I asked gently, becoming enveloped in his deep words.

"I could never get her, not even in my dreams," he finished his words softly, as if they hurt to let them escape his lips.

"Don't say that!" I burst out, making his gaze snap toward me. "If you just try and get to know her, I'm sure she'll like you! Unless she's a complete idiot, but it sounds like she definitely isn't. If you set your mind to it, I know you can!"

A small smile came to his lips, his features bathed in the silvery moonlight, half of it covered mysteriously in the shadows. He almost looked… handsome. There's one word I NEVER thought I'd use to describe him. He almost reminds me of… No, won't even go there.

"Thanks, Odango."

Normally I'd be fumed at the annoying nickname, but the moment seemed so nice, so I simply let a smile slip across my lips. We stared at each other for a long time, though I don't know why. Neither of us made any kind of movement. We just… gazed, blue clashing with blue. It became very quiet. I could even hear him breathing, in and out, in and out, his chest moving along with each breath he took. I liked this feeling. So incredibly peaceful…

Suddenly an obnoxious burst of horrible singing shot from the TV. Our attention was snapped away from each other and back onto the program, watching it as if nothing ever happened and nothing unusual was said.

What was _that_?


	6. The Bigger Problem

Another chapter, horray. It gets dramatic, but hey, we needed to get into the plot sometime, didn't we? Hope this meets up to your expectations and all. Oh, and the stories here finally have a counter, so I can see how many people visit the stories. More people have in a month than who've reviewed in all the chapters. I love long ones, too. Keep that in mind. Enjoy.

* * *

It took forever, but five packed boxes of Chinese food later, Mamoru went off into LaLa land on the couch, while we were watching some lame pop music video. YESS. That means I get the bed. And here I thought I'd have to drug him… In case some of you at home decided to not pay attention in the last few rounds, lets take a look at the trusty, all-mighty score board, shall we?

**Tsukino:** 2

**Chiba:** 0

Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

I crept off into the bedroom and grabbed my communicator. Time to check out on my lovely friends. Who to call? Rei would just yell at me for interrupting a dumb fire reading or something. How was I supposed to know she'd jump up at the ringing of the communicator and burn her finger? Is it MY fault she was almost falling asleep when she was supposedly 'meditating'? No, didn't think so.

I'll just play it safe again.

"Minakoooo… Come in, Mina-chan," I said into the pink-colored communicator. Her face appeared on the screen.

"Hey there, any update?"

"Well, I'm not dead yet."

"Always good news."

As if he were to walk in at any moment, I took a quick glance at the door, then back at the communicator.

"So I raided the apartment today while he was gone," I told her.

"Find any information?"

"Nada."

"Damn…" she muttered. "How are we gonna find out what he's up to?"

"I dunno, but Mina-chan, you're gonna get a kick out of this," I said, my face twitching in amusement at the thought. I had to keep a straight face or else it wouldn't be as funny.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I looked in his laptop and found… _PORN_!" After that word was said, I couldn't help myself. I rolled onto the floor, clutching my stomach in laugher. I remembered he was sleeping, so I tried my best to be quiet, but it was SO hard.

"Are you serious? Oh my God, this is like… better than when I found out Motoki-chan had a tattoo of tiny pink butterfly on his ass because of a bet he lost," she told me, also dying of laughter.

I stopped for a second. "Wait… What?"

"Nevermind. Long story. Anyway, maybe you need to go one-on-one. You know, see if you can get anything out of him without being too suspicious."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that? 'Hey, think you're gonna jump me and rip my insides out anytime soon?' Yeah, that'd go over well."

"Be serious. We've been having problems over here lately," she began in her 'senshi business' kind of tone. Man, I hate being serious. It gets boring.

"Problems?" I echoed.

"Yeah. Yesterday we had to handle three youmas all by ourselves. Big, ugly, scary ones. One nearly cut off a piece of my hair! I'd die if that happened. I mean, just imagine the headlines: '_One of Tokyo's highest fashion models; career killed due to lack of silky golden hair_.' I'd just die!"

I let out an impatient sigh. "I'm growing old here."

"All right, all right," Minako brushed me off easily. "So we fought the first one, and it was a breeze, barely any power needed, due to our wonderful Senshi-ness. Then two more came along that were like, then times stronger. I swear, we got so weak, even Makoto could barely stand on her own two feet. I nearly fainted."

"Seriously?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, we need you. Without your power, these idiots are hard to beat. Sure, we can usually weaken them, but you always finish 'em off with some super-powerful move. None of us have that. So basically, if you don't find a way for Mamoru to stop blocking your power and get you back to… normal, then we're all history."

"Hmm…" I trailed off, leaning back onto the support of Mamoru's bed. "I didn't know how serious this was. I need to do something, quick."

"You're telling me. No offense, but I really don't feel being like a Senshi sandwich for some bone-crushing, humongous, drooling, tiny-brained youma."

I thought for a second. "Hmm… I'll try to squeeze something out of him tonight. Promise."

"Good. Call me if you find anything else out."

"See ya," I clicked off the communicator, resting my head against the hard mattress. Wow. If I don't get my powers back, they'll be in serious trouble. I don't know what to do, though. I can't just come out and ask, obviously. Have to think of some diabolical plan to have him slip me some info. At least I need to find out what kind of power he has. Either he's a youma… or a good guy… but if he's a good guy, then wouldn't he try and help us out earlier? And why would he be blocking my power, anyway, if that's true? Maybe on accident? How could that be possible? Ugh, this thinking is making my poor brain huuurt…

Strolling back into the living room, I took a seat on the edge of the couch. He was still asleep, the poor bastard. With his head tilting up against the arm of the couch, and the way his hair fell into his closed eyes, he almost looked… innocent. What a weird thought. Makes me want to believe that in reality he's _not_ a potentially blood-sucking creepy ugly youma. Aww, he looks so peaceful. It'd be wrong to wake him up so suddenly. In fact, it'd be downright cruel…

Oh well.

"**FIRE! FIRE!**" I shouted at the top of my lungs, breaking the silence. He bolted up quickly, blinking two sleepy eyes open, both showing a hint of redness. It took him a second, but he realized I was sitting there and glanced at me, blinking his eyes harder to focus.

"What happened?" he questioned groggily. Geeze, you'd think he just woke up from a late-night trip down to the bar after a hearty screw with a waitress and fifty bottles of vodka. Hm, I really have to stop watching so much late-night TV.

"Oh, sorry, the music video must've been too loud. You know how those darned things are."

He took a quick look at the screen, then back at me, confused. "I thought I heard someone yell 'fire'."

"Nahhhh, must've been your imagination," I lied, grinning innocently. Have to get down to business. "Say, I have a question for you."

"Hm?" he mumbled, finally beginning to wake up.

How do I say this? I can't be too obvious, but then again, maybe he won't notice. "Err, do you know…" I trailed off. "*mumble*SailorMoon*mumble*?"

The room was dead quiet. I glanced from one object in the room to another nervously. Yeah, that wasn't obvious at all. Verrrrry smooth.

"Who?" he asked me in a surprised whisper.

"Uhh, I said… do you know… The Muffin Man?"

"That's not what you said."

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't."

"Well… It could have been."

"Odango."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, fine, I said… Sailor Moon. Because… Well, I saw her on the news last week, and I guess you could say I'm a huge fan. I mean, who wouldn't be, with her grace and beauty and suave, caring nature?"

Okay, that's scary. I'm beginning to sound like Minako.

"Why would you think _I_ knew her?" he eyed me suspiciously as he shifted into a more comfortable position, half-sitting.

"Ohhh, I dunno… I've been asking a bunch of people, 'cause you know, being a fan and all, I want an autograph pretty badly. So far nobody knows her, though."

He seemed to loosen up a bit, thank God, and leaned back slowly to rest his head on the couch's cushioned arm. "No, I don't know her personally… but you are right. I myself admire her."

"You do?" I squeaked loudly, then cleared my throat. "I mean, uh… you do?"

"Sure," he told me with assurance, tilting his head upward. I could see a hint of a smile on his face as he spoke, "Everybody has seen or heard something about her, but I doubt anybody really _knows _her, as a person, at least. If that were so, she would definitely be exposed much more to the media than she would want. I have witnessed one of her fights, though. Beat the monster without breaking a sweat. He was powerful, too. It takes courage to go up to something that horrifying and fight it without a second thought, simply for the sake of saving a city full of hopeful citizens."

Wow. He admired me. Not directly, but he thinks all of that about Sailor Moon. Who just happens to be _me_. You'd think someone so perfect wouldn't even think twice about looking up to someone like me. Then again, it is my alter ego we're talking about, not plain old boring Usagi who's terrible at everything she does in her life. _She_ wouldn't get a second glance from someone like Mamoru. Not now, not ever.

"You must really like her," I said after thinking for a moment.

The smile on his face widened a bit as he stared off dreamily into space. "Yeah, I suppose I do."

"With that look, it's almost like you're in love with her or something," I laughed. He averted his gaze, a light pink shade staining his cheeks.

"Don't be ridiculous."

I grinned like a cat right about to catch a juicy mouse for dinner. "Now, I'm no detective or anything, but I think that color on your face would be labeled as a _blush_, am I right?"

"I am _not_ blushing!" he shouted, the color deepening, as he rose from his spot in defense.

"Aw, but I think it _is_ a blush. Come on, if you have a crush on her, you can tell me."

"I don't have a crush on anyone."

"Uh huh."

"I don't!"

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Really sure?"

"Yes."

"Really, _really_ sure?"

"Odango."

"What? Just checking," I said in my own innocent way. "But then why are you blushing? Out of pure curiosity."

"For the last time, I am not blushing," he told me sternly, gaining back his calm attitude. I know it's mean, but this was too much fun.

"You know you _loooooove_ her."

"I do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"_Do tooooo_!"

He sighed. "Do you ever get tired of this?"

"Hm… No? Look, just admit your undying cosmic love for her, and I'll leave you alone."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Double fudge brownie promise."

"I'm not going to tell you again."

"Come on, I'm a girl, you can't hide things like that from me. I have senses… and stuff."

"Leave me alone."

Decided I wouldn't get much out of him, I began to sing loudly, "Satan and Sailor Moon, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love…"

"Odango…"

"Then comes marriage…"

"Odango!"

"Then comes a baby in a baby carr—"

"FINE!" he shouted in annoyance. "I love her, all right? _I love Sailor Moon._ Now will you please stop?"

Wow… He loves me… I mean, Sailor Moon? How is that even possible? He doesn't even know me… or her, or whatever. I could see the redness in his cheeks finally beginning to fade back into their normal color. He must've been really embarrassed. Cute… in an ugly sort of way, I mean.

"See how great it can be to admit your complete and utter infatuation with another human being instead of just your pet?"

"Where'd you learn a word like that?"

I shot one of my custom glares in his direction.

"I wasn't stuffed in a box for sixteen years and only given the pleasure of tasting actual food once in awhile, you know. It's a thing called school. Try it sometime," I said to him as haughtily (I used that right, didn't I?) as I could. Boy, was he seeing red. Not light red, either. Pure crimsony super-dark red.

"I wouldn't be insulting someone with a degree higher than a mere high school education," he shot back, his voice low. Ouch, that stung. Oh wait. NOT.

"Yeah yeah, suck it up, College Boy. I won't be in high school that much longer."

"Only three more years, right?"

I crossed my arms. "Two, Satan. TWO. Not even two, more like one and a half. Maybe you're the one that should be back in high school… or maybe Kindergarten."

"Why you little…"

"See, now you're only getting upset over these tiny little things. I think it's time to see someone over your anger issues."

"_You're_ my anger issue," he mumbled in a dull voice.

"Very good! Now that's out of the way, you can seek professional help."

I could see he was beginning to get really annoyed, more than usual. He layed his head back onto the couch, pressing his hand heavily over his eyes, like it was burning them at the sight of me.

"You're hopeless. I swear."

Shrugging, I leaned back onto the sofa, easily basking in my own glory of winning this argument. "Yeah well. That's life I guess."

Just then, he burst out into laughter. Loud, obnoxious laughter that almost made me fall off the edge of the cushion. Glancing over carefully, I saw him holding his stomach with one arm, tears nearly seeping through his closed eyelids. Hoo boy, I knew it. He's finally cracked. One joke too many, and WHAM, right into a white-padded room in a mental institution. Lets just pray that in his timely insanity, he doesn't decide to take his wrath out on poor old me. Getting a bulging black eye is not exactly on my to-do list.

"Satan, are you okay? Need me to dial a paramedic for ya?"

At that, he continued laughing, leaving me to stare blankly at him. After awhile he finally calmed down and told me through the laughs, "Sorry, sorry… I dunno, the way you said that. It was funny."

"No offense or anything, but I haven't heard you laugh like that in well… ever."

"Guess that's what happens when you're around," he said with a light smile. "Even though you can be a klutzy, no-brained, black hole for a stomach, blonde, ditzy, odd—"

"You know, if you were on a game show and challenged to give a compliment for $500, you'd lose by a mile."

"What I meant to say is that… well, I like having you around, despite everything we fight about. I don't know what possessed me to say that, but you get the idea."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "I thought you hated me."

"No, I don't. I don't hate anyone, really. It takes too much effort."

I whispered meekly, "Then why do you act like it?"

He didn't answer me for a couple moments, looking deep in thought, as usual. "I suppose… It's my nature, to block everyone out. Even if it means making fun of them."

"Why? You couldn't have suddenly started to act like that out of nowhere. Something must've happened."

His face darkened over. As soon as it did, I wished the words hadn't come out of my big mouth.

"Something did happen..."

"Sorry…" I trailed off, trying my best to look away from him. "I didn't mean to bring anything up that you don't wanna talk about."

"It's all right."

I could hear the hurt in his voice. I wonder what happened to him, but didn't want to cause any kind of pain, so I didn't say anything else about it. When he's ready to talk, I'll listen.

As if right on cue, my damn communicator started beeping. Coughing as loud as I could, I excused myself and hurled over the back of the couch, sprinting for his room. I grabbed the communicator and slammed the bathroom door shut, all in record time. I should get a medal for that.

"Usagi," Rei's face appeared in the screen, one I didn't want to see for a long, LONG time. Preferably never. "We have trouble."

"What kind of trouble? I _was_ trying to get some information, you know," I scolded. So it would've taken me an hour or two or three to get to the senshi business thing, big deal. Point is, I would've gotten there eventually.

"Look, I don't have time to explain, but you need to come down to the temple for a meeting, now."

"You expect me to get up and suddenly leave at eleven o' clock? What am I supposed to say? 'Going out for some Mountain Dew, be back in a jiffy!'"

"I don't care what you say, just get here," were her last words before the screen turned black.

"Oh sure, because I'm just SO DAMN CREATIVE, right? And thanks for saying 'bye'. No, no, there's no need to thank me, your smiling face is simply enough!" I yelled back into the screen, knowing she wouldn't hear me. Man, thing lying thing is getting old. You'd think living my whole _life_ as a lie was enough, but noo.

"Uhm, Mamoru," I mumbled as I walked back into the living room, finding him flipping through different channels on the television. Nervously, I rubbed the back of my neck, digging my heel into the carpet. "I need to go out for awhile."

His brows furrowed. "At this time of night?"

"Well yeah. You see, my dad… he's out of control lately, yelling at my brother and mom about stupid stuff, and he got so mad that he left for the night to some hotel. We knew it'd happen eventually. Soo that was my uh... cell phone you just heard. My mom called and wants me to, you know, comfort her and stuff. Maybe if my dad talks to me it'd make him go back home."

Ha, that was great. I just hope I can remember all this crap. Lying is pretty hard.

"You sure you should go out alone? Maybe I should go, too. It's dark out."

"No, no," I interrupted him quickly. "My mom's picking me up. She'll probably be outside in a minute, soooo I'll see ya in awhile."

Before he could say anything else that I was forced to shamelessly lie about, I rushed out of the room swifter than he could imagine.

* * *

"I'm afraid this has become a major issue," Rei began as soon as I took my seat on the floor. "Bigger than we would've thought. If we aren't careful with these youmas, our lives could be at stake. Usagi's power is the only things that can beat these creatures in one blow. We can't keep using our powers to their fullest. It drains way too much out of us."

"What're we gonna do?" I asked. "I mean, it'd be stupid for you guys to fight and get sick, maybe even die. But we can't let those monsters run the streets and kill off anyone they want, either…"

"We don't have much choice," Makoto said softly. "Either us, or the city. That's what being a senshi is about, protecting others, risking everything so others can live peacefully."

"Not when you're going to die, too! There has to be some other way…" I trailed off in a whisper. A lump began forming in my throat. "There just has to."

Rei nodded quietly. "That's why I called you all down here. I've been doing my fire readings lately, but not much has come up. Nothing, in fact. I don't think I can do it alone, so we'll need to perform a ceremonial fire reading. All of you will have to put all your mind power into the reading. It's our only hope to find out anything."

Soon we were back in the large, empty room, only a fire burning at the heart of it with mats placed neatly around it, like they were bowing to it's power. The room seemed to be a darker gray instead of the pitch black it should've been. Each of us kneeled down on a square mat placed behind the growing fire, as it gently burned, giving off what heat it could.

"Remember, focus," Rei announced to us as she kneeled down right in front of the fire. I tilted my head downward; hands folded in my lap, my eyes drifted to a close. Concentrating my mind as best as I could, I heard her began to mumble a series of sacred Japanese chants, ones only few have heard.

"Please, Great Fire, give us some sort of sign, anything… We need to save the city and ourselves from any harm. Please," she begged softly, her words dissolving into the radiating heat.

The fire gently crackled in response.

"Please… I beg of you."

The room was painfully silent for the longest time. Rei continued to whisper soft pleas into the fire. As she was praying, a wave of heat spread past my body slowly, and thickly, filling the room, making each breath harder to take into my body.

"I see…" I heard her say slowly, "a man. A tall man, with jet black hair and cerulean eyes…"

"Mamoru," I whispered, half to myself.

She stopped for a couple moments, as if to agree. As she slid her hands against each other in alignment to where the fire's red color faded into a dark orange, her tone became gentler, "This man… is suffering. Slowly, but surely, he's suffering. A strange power is emitting from him. It's not his, though. It's evil. It's invading his body. Like it's trying to… take him over somehow. This… is almost complete. This 'transformation', so to speak. Its power is shining too bright for mortal eyes… If grown fully and taken over this body, it cannot be beaten…"

The heat dropped down to a bitter, uncaring cold, disappearing in one moment as if it had never been there. I opened my eyes slowly to see Rei hunched over, staring at the dying blaze with icy eyes, realizing the fire had told us more than we could bear.


	7. Red Roses & Girls in White Dresses

I feel so bad for leaving you all alone with no finished story! No excuses, but… here's a semi-long chapter as my offering. Forgive me. ;_; It's almost three in the morning, and I really wanted to get this out, so I'm praying there's no grammar errors.. Reviews are very much appreciated, too, as always.

* * *

A sharp look snapped across Rei's face.

"What is it?" Minako asked, noticing her change.

"A Youma… I can sense it. A powerful one."

With a glance toward each other, the four stood up in unison, nodding their heads right after. Each trailed behind the other, filing out the door as quickly as possible. I sat in the same spot, my body unmoving, my head hung low.

A comforting hand covered my shoulder, causing me to meet Ami's sympathetic gaze.

"Don't worry," she told me softly. "We'll find a way through this, I'm sure of it. We always have before. We'll figure out what the situation is with Mamoru-san, and you'll be able to transform again. I promise."

Half-smiling, I nodded after a second of silence. Returning with her own reassuring smile, she hurried to follow the rest of the senshi. The room felt so… quiet. Like if I walked down the street, I'd be the only one around for miles. And there my best friends are, fighting with everything they have, while I just… sit here and wait.

God. I'm so useless.

Struggling to stand steady onto my feet, I stared through the open door they all had ran out of, the path leading down the open space barely lit in the night. I can't sit back while my friends get hurt by some monster. I have to fight.

"Moon Prism Power!" I heard myself shouting, shooting my hand straight up into the air, awaiting any kind of power. Tears watered my eyes when I realized no reaction came. Deeply, I breathed in. Maybe if I relax my powers will come back to me. They have to. They... just do.

"Moon... Prism Power!"

Still nothing came to me.

"Moon…" I started out weakly, blinking my tears away. My arm, still stiff, slowly began to shake, following with the rest of my body. I collapsed onto my knees, my body giving way to my own weight. Head hung down almost to meet the floor, I could barely give myself strength to look forward without starting to cry.

"Why… Is this happening to me?" I choked through the silence, almost expecting some nameless voice to answer me within the hollow depths of the room.

Before my brain could realize my actions, I felt myself abruptly pushing myself onto my two feet within seconds, sprinting out the opened sliding doors even before I could fully stand.

"Mako-chan!" Minako yelled in horror as an ugly two-headed green creature blasted Jupiter with a powerful laser beam that smashed her up against a solid brick wall. Rei, about to attack the monster in rage, lifted her arm up.

"Burni—" she started, the youma whipping one of it's extended arms up against her quickly, sending her flying into the darkness of the street.

One by one, I watched in complete panic as my friends were being pummeled into oblivion with no hope of defending themselves. I could only stare from a distance, wide-eyed, helpless.

"Mercury!" Venus shouted. "Combine attacks!"

The aqua senshi nodded, starting her attack, "Shabon—"

"Crescent—"

A scream escaped both as the horrible creature swooped both of its long arms with ease, pressing its palms harshly against their throats as they were slammed onto the hard pavement. A smirk surfaced on its face.

I gripped my hands together so tight, I thought blood might start dripping from where my fingers dug into the skin of my hand.

"Stop!" I shouted at the top of my voice, appearing directly in front of the ugly creature, seeing its face half-hidden by a distorted white plastered mask, the other half revealed when it looked toward me, deep gashing scars tightening around a seemingly normal, almost human face. Coldly the monster set its gaze at me, waiting cautiously for my next move.

"You don't deserve to hurt people… my friends… like this. They mean the world to me, and I can't let you hurt them!"

Grunting, it released its grip on Minako and Ami and let them fall to the ground, setting its sights onto me instead. Its red eye flickering, it stared steadily, studying me from head to toe. At first I thought the thing would attack me without hesitation so I prepared for a firm tackle, but when it continued its stealthy roaming of my form, I began to worry. Was it thinking about kidnapping me? Killing me in one swift blow? Ripping my head off and tossing it across the ground only for it to roll into the sewer? Ew…

He or she or whatever squinted its one revealed eye for half a second, and as if it had a better engagement to attend to, it crouched its legs and sprung itself clear into the air without another trace left behind. The overcast night sky covered its tracks as it disappeared into an oncoming cloud. Makoto carefully limped over to where we stood, shoulders heavy, fuku torn apart around her torso.

"What the hell was that?" she coughed out, the rest of us exchanging glances, gathering around the spot where it took its leave.

"I wish I knew…" I told her. Rei and Ami pressed themselves up into a sitting position, wearing the same confused expression.

"Well, whatever it was…" Rei started out, pausing for a moment, "seemed to be afraid of you, Usagi-chan."

"I… wasn't transformed though. Why would it be afraid?"

She shook her head slightly, tilting her gaze up toward the sky to where the monster retreated, the tiny hole in the cloud retracting back to its original lumpy form.

"Good question."

* * *

I twirled my fork against my untouched spaghetti, watching the strands wrap around the metal. Even my appetite took a harsh blow when I realized the senshi and I were in way over our heads. I had no idea things were so… serious. Usually by now Ami or Rei could predict SOMETHING about our situation, but the only lead we had currently sat next to me on the couch. Mind you, I'm keeping a safe distance. You never know.

"Odango," he suddenly said. "You haven't eaten a bite. Is my food that horrible?"

Realizing he was right, I set my fork down. "No… 'Course not."

"Well, I didn't poison it or anything. I prefer the toaster in the bathtub method."

I let out a laugh, swirling the pasta into two little piles, pretending the meatballs were at war with each other and the piles were their only defenses against each other. Guess I can take playing with your food to a whole new level. I even made up a story how Admiral Meatless lost his ranking and was planning revenge against his superior by bombing him with wads of tomato sauce.

Yeah. I need a life.

"No, nothing's wrong with your cooking."

"Then what's wrong? Usually your mouth sucks up the food before it can reach the plate," he said, chuckling at his own lame joke. Yeah, yuck it up, you're not the one sitting here while your friends are a hair close to being killed, and it's all your own fault.

I lifted my nose up in the air. "I'll ignore that because I happen to be a lady that doesn't respond to such lame jokes."

"A lady?" he started laughing, nearly dropping his food. "Since when? I thought the term for you was classified as an Odango. I.E. awkward blonde teenage girl."

"Oi, be nice, I haven't made ONE obscene remark about your eyebrows all day. I should deserve some kind of prize for that."

"What, the State Fair blue ribbon?"

"Are you calling me a pig?"

"I was going to say a cow, but a pig might suit your eating habits better."

"God, I hate you! I was trying to be nice ALL day, but you always have to ruin it, don't you?" I exploded, practically feeling steam seethe from my head. Fists clenched, I stormed off into his bedroom, slamming the door shut so loud, it could wake up the neighborhood.

The NERVE of that guy. For once, when I completely don't make any wisecracks, he barrages me with them one after the other. He has no idea what I'm going through, but you think he could at least sense something was wrong. I bet he did, but still didn't care. I hate him.

I plopped onto his STUPID bed, arms tightly crossed, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Not like it matters, any second now, my best friends could be pushed into another battle and killed, while I sit here, being insulted. What did I do wrong? Sure, maybe I'm not a saint or anything, but he starts it every time… and I don't ever do anything. Why does he hate me? Why am I forced to hate him? He claimed he couldn't hate anyone, but I guess I'm an exception. Just thinking about it made tears almost rise in my eyes.

"Usagi?" I heard him say from the other side of the door, softly knocking.

Hugging my knees to my chest, I told him in a muffled voice, "Go away!"

"Usagi… come on."

"I said, go away!"

Even though I told him to leave me alone, of course I hear the door open and a line of yellow light spilled through the open crack. After a few shuffled footsteps, a weight pressed on the bed next to me. I kept my face buried in my knees. There's no WAY I'd let him see me cry. Sure, for show, but not for real. I'd die a slow and painful death before I open myself up to Chiba Mamoru.

"Usagi…" he started slowly, like he was struggling for words. "I didn't mean to make you so upset."

I scoffed loudly, turning my head in the opposite direction of the spawn of the Devil. "Well, ya did."

"This is really hard for me to do, and you're not making it any easier."

At that, I fully faced Satan, restraining with every fiber in my being not to knock him one upside the head.

"Easier? EASIER? You give me ONE good reason why you can sit there, saying one mean thing after another, and expect me to make it easier on you. You don't deserve it!"

"You're the one that gave me the 'Satan' nickname! You're just as much at fault!"

"Well, if the horns fit!"

I could barely see a tinge of red rise to his cheeks as he shouted, "Can't you stop being a kid for once and discuss this rationally without the constant yelling?"

"Look who's talking!"

"You'd better not be calling ME a child!"

"Well, that's what I'm doing! Watch me! Mamoru's a KIDDY, KIDDY, KIDDY, Mamoru's a KIDDY, all day long!" I sung loudly, watching a rather large vein pop out of his forehead.

"I don't even know why I even came in here to apologize to some teenager with a two-year-old mentality. What the hell was I thinking?"

The room became silent.

"You… were gonna apologize? To me?" I whispered in a tone ten times softer.

"Yes," he grumbled. I could only gape at him stupidly while he kept our eye contact limited. Mr. Wonderful, APOLOGIZE? I didn't even think that word existed in his all-powerful dictionary. He said it when I was faking everything, but… now? About him being a jerk? Never thought I'd see the day.

"So… you're sorry about saying all those mean things?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in. This is a one-time offer."

"Thanks," was all I could manage to say. He stole a glance, returning it to the floor a second later. The stream of light spilling from the door barely lit his hunched form, but in the glow, I could make out a soft, almost handsome smile, probably not meant for me too see. Fingers laced, he rotated his thumbs gently against each other. Made me wonder exactly what he was thinking.

Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet, saying, "Well, I should be getting to bed—"

"Hey Mamoru," I interrupted lightly, leaving him standing halfway through the doorframe. "How come you don't have any pictures of your family around here?"

When you think of Usagi and Mamoru together, you picture constant fighting, countless insults, and the occasional taunting limerick. Anyone that knew us would NEVER in their right mind see us sprawled across his bed, me comfortably on my stomach with a cookie poking out of my mouth, and him leaning up against the bedpost, taking a few nibbles out of his own cookie. Not ONLY would Chiba Mamoru be caught skiing naked in the Alps before eating a chocolate cookie, but he would never, ever ever EVER, do it with his all-time nemesis, also known as moi.

The fact that we were alone in his room was just the icing on the WHAT-THE-HELL cake. Still, I couldn't help feeling comfortable around him. He's actually turned out to be pretty cool aside his snarling usual self. In fact, I'm liking him way more than I thought possible. I wouldn't spread that around, though.

"This is your mom, huh?" I asked him. A crumpled picture, torn on the edges and faded to a dull brown from age, lay carefully on the bed in front of me. It showed a pretty thirty-something-year-old woman, a tiny baby tucked between her folded arms, hidden by layers of a soft blue blanket. A shy smile held on her face as she stared down lovingly at the baby.

"Yeah… one of the only pictures I have."

"Why don't you have more? Not a photo-type family?"

He paused. "No… That's all I could find."

Blinking, I shifted so I could see his face. "What do you mean?"

He took in a breath. "When I was young, my family and I got into a car accident. I made it out of the car with barely a scratch, but they died instantly on impact," he told me grimly. He looked as if he was gripping his teeth together.

"Oh my God…" I whispered.

"I woke up in the hospital about a week later, heard some doctors talking around me. I asked about what happened, and they told me everything. When they asked if I could remember my name… I… couldn't tell them. Later on they told me I had high-grade amnesia. I couldn't remember my past at all. It was as if my memories started over from the moment I woke up in that hospital bed, and to this day, I can't remember my parents, my life, anything.

I stayed in an orphanage until I was old enough to support myself. Went from one job to another, finally got enough scholarship money to go to a local college, bought this apartment, kept living as best as I could. I guess… I've always sort of hoped I'd wake up one day with my memory completely restored. I'm still waiting for that day. Every day I ask myself why I left the scene unharmed, and they had to die. I could never make sense of it. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just let myself whither away along with them. Something… kept me going. Something I can't even begin to explain."

Awestruck by his words, I couldn't come up with anything to say, so he continued softly, "… and those pictures, supposedly they're a hazard to my mental health. The doctors hid them from me because they said any sort of immediate shock to the brain, like seeing my parents through the picture, may permanently set in the amnesia, or cause damage to other parts of my memory. I didn't care though. I just… wanted something to hold on to from my past. Anything to keep me going through the day."

Gingerly I ran my fingers along the worn edges of the photograph, soaking in every inch of his mother's image. "She was beautiful…"

"She was…" I heard him whisper.

"I wish… I could've met her, and your dad…" I said, getting into a sitting position close to him, enough so I didn't have to struggle to look at him, at least. "…but, I'm sure they're looking down on you right now. I'll bet you anything they're so proud of you, they wouldn't know how to express everything they'd want to say."

"I don't know about that. My life isn't something to brag about. Yeah, I have a pretty nice job, and am able to afford more than necessary, but… that's the problem. I only have to worry about spending for myself. No true friends, no family, no girlfriend, no wife… Just, nothing," he said, a pained look held on his face.

"Don't say that!" I exclaimed, causing him to nearly jump in surprise. "I mean… You're really young, I'm sure you'll find someone special to be your girlfriend and even wife someday. Then you'll have a million kids and be so happy you'll have to go outside and scream your lungs out to show it. And how can you say you have no friends? Motoki's always there for you."

"That's true…"

"Plus," I paused. "You have me."

He shifted his eyes to another area of the room, half-chuckling to himself. "Yeah, there's you."

"I can be your friend, you know, if you let me," I told him, wondering to myself if I should say what I wanted to. "Hey, how come you never told me why you _really_ don't have a girlfriend, anyway? And I'm not gonna buy that lame 'I'm too busy for one' excuse. That only works with overworked thirty-year-old sweaty guys that can only buy girls off the internet."

He shook his head, most likely at me. "I guess… to be honest, I haven't found the right person yet. I've been on useless dates so many times. Motoki always sets me up with some snotty college girl that thinks she can waltz in my apartment, take one look at the bedroom, and have the idea that I'll instantly screw her silly. Most of the time I end up sending them home and saying I have a pounding headache. I wonder how many times I've used that one."

"Usually that's the girl's excuse."

"It's _always_ my excuse. I can't say I've found one girl I've liked enough to take past kissing."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second there," I said, my mouth dropped agape in amusement. "You're not a virgin… Are you?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, a red color rising to his cheeks.

"Aww, how cute. Mamoru hasn't gotten any." I laughed as he turned an even deeper shade of red.

"What, and you're not?" he shot back.

I stopped my laughfest, changing my tone completely. "Yeah, so? Gimme a break, I can barely go on DATES without my dad wanting to put a bullet through their head, let alone doing anything like that."

"Have you even had a boyfriend before?"

I became flustered. "Well, yeah! Sure I have! Tons! So many that… you can't even count them on your fingers!"

"So… that would be a total of none, huh?" he questioned with that Cheshire grin donning his features. One I loved and hated at the moment. The eternal question: To pummel, or not to pummel.

"Basically, yeah… unless you count Akio from kindergarten. We were playing in the sandbox one day, and he asked if I could be his girlfriend. I said yes, but everyone started teasing us, so he 'broke up' with me. I cried for a really long time over that, and I didn't even know what being a girlfriend meant!"

He laughed lightly. "That's kind of sad, in a cute way."

"Yeah well. I'm waiting for the right person, like you are. I actually thought that was Motoki for a long time, until I realized he was taken. VERY taken. Makoto and I were heart-broken."

"You… liked Motoki?" he asked before nearly falling off the bed in laughter.

"OI! Be nice! I couldn't help it. He was really really nice to me. I guess he became more of a brother though… My Motoki-onee-chan."

He decided to shift from talking about Motoki, thank God. "So, anyone else caught your eye yet? Some drooling sixteen-year-old, skirt-chasing dolt?"

"Uhmmmmm," I mumbled, tapping my finger against my chin in thought. "Not really. Why, you want to move in on me or something?"

While I laughed like it was the funniest thing since sliced bread, he eyed me fixedly, then said in all seriousness, "Maybe."

Even though I completely didn't get what he meant by that, I continued to laugh like a hyena on crack. Slowing down a bit, I lay myself flat on the feather-soft bed, arms sprawled on each side as I stared into the endless white ceiling. Suddenly a peaceful feeling washed over me, like I was laying in my own tiny bed, rambling endlessly to myself and the darkness of my room, something I've done more than once.

"Hey Mamoru… Wanna know what I pictured for my wedding?"

I barely saw him nod his head, and went on, "Well… I always wanted a pure white dress. Not the ones you see everyday, but a really magnificent one tailored by the finest fashion designer in Tokyo—no, in the _world_. Lace on each stitch, flowing thirty feet behind me, fitting me too perfectly that everyone would stop in their tracks just for a look. And… red roses as far as the eye could see; petals would cover each inch of the ground so when everyone would take a step, it'd be like walking on a cloud. All the bridesmaids would get a bouquet of them too, but I'll hold the biggest, reddest ones anyone could ever pick.

Everything else, the walls, everyone's clothing, has to be in white... a white-white, not a pastel white. The church would be absolutely humongous, bigger than anyone could imagine, windows covering each wall so the light can hit every bit of the inside. The groom and the bridesmaids have to be covered in a mix of red and white to match everything, head to toe. Everyone we could possibly know would fill the benches, row-to-row people, mothers, fathers, brothers, cousins, friends, acquaintances, all of them."

My words became softer and softer and I spoke them, but I still let the words fall out as my lids became heavier, "The groom… will be someone wonderful. Someone that will look at me as I'm walking down the aisle and only have eyes for me, like I'm the only person in the room… like I'm the only person in the world…"

I felt covers being pulled over me, warm from body heat. My lids became too heavy to keep open any minute longer, my thoughts drifting lighter and lighter to only feel like an old memory…


	8. Hand to Heart

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack. Thanks so much for all the reviews! I never expected so much good feedback and so many readers. It means a lot to me. And please don't throw anything at me for taking so long ;)

Sooo enjoy the new chapter. This came with months and months of fighting writers block but I finally did it! Thanks again to everyone!

(By the way I know the ending is very _very _evil, heheheheh. It's more fun that way.)

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Feeling the suns harsh rays burning against my eyelids, I stuffed the nearest pillow that was within reach up against my face. Almost near the wonderful abyss of sleep, the knocking came again even louder. I flopped over onto my stomach, letting out a deep grumble. Curling myself in a near fetal position, I gripped the edges of the pillow, trying once more to let my mind stray to dreamland with visions of tasty pink chocolate-drizzled cotton clouds and cinnamon gram cracker-paved streets…

_Knock, knock, knock._

"I'm coming, I'm coming, Kami-sama!" my words came out muffled from underneath my soft pillowy wonderland that I had to depart. Doesn't anyone realize the value of good beauty sleep these days? So maybe I'm a tiny bit lazy, but you never see ugly brown bags under these eyes. That's worth the eight or nine… or ten hours of sleep I get. Besides, I'm young! Studies show a growing teenage girl needs rest. It's in science books and everything… I've never actually read one, but I'm sure it's there!

Since I had no idea what hellhole I'd woken up into at the first couple minutes of being awake, I trudged slowly to what I assumed was the front door (hopefully not the balcony door), and pulled on the nearest doorknob with a surprising burst of energy. Actually I really just wanted to yell at whoever decided to ruin the best part of my dream. This time everything was made of yummy softened chocolate ice cream and I ate every ounce without gaining a single inch on my hips. You can't beat that.

"Usagi-chan!" I heard called out to me.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I saw through my blurry vision the half-distorted yet cheerful face of Ami in the doorway. Her uniform glowed with its usual cotton-glow, and even her bright crimson tie seemed especially prim and neatly ironed today.

"Oh Ami-chan! My savior!" I cried out as I leapt toward her, enclosing her in a huge bear hug.

She giggled in surprise. "That was a quick change of mood… Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay… but isn't it the middle of the day? What happened to school?" I gasped. "NO. Don't tell me you dropped out! The work got to be too much for you? Right? Right? I knew this would happen one day to our poor little Ami-chan!"

"Usagi—"

"And you had such a bright future too! You were going to be a world-famous disease-curing doctor! How could you let your country down? Now I'll have to be the brains of the senshi _and _the leader…"

"I didn't—"

"Ahhh you know I can't handle that kind of pressure!"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," she interrupted quickly, shaking her head. "I came here during our lunch hour. The computer club's meeting was cancelled due to a major hard drive malfunction. Apparently a student downloaded too much information from many… well, 'adult' websites, and because he was logged onto the administrator's account, nearly half of our school's database suffered a virus infection. It was a terrible mess."

"Online porn, huh? That reminds me, I have to tell you a funny story later…" I trailed off with a light tap against my chin, finally remembering where exactly I've been the past three days. "Anyway, Ami-chan, this is _so_ terrible! You have no IDEA how awful it is to be stuck in a foodless, comic book-less apartment all day. PLEASEtell me you brought me some sugary refreshments or a video game or _something_. People always say you can't die of boredom but I think I'm well on my way to bringing that theory down."

Just think about it.

_Tsukino Usagi, beautiful yet misunderstood well-known high school student at Juuban, tragically died yesterday with no warning signs of her death apparent on site. Further investigation showed she had a severe lack of sugar in her blood stream. The candy shops in all of Tokyo will forever miss her. And her weekly allowance money._

"As a matter of fact, I did bring you something…"

"THANK YOU! Oh Ami-chan, I knew I could count on you!"

Before I could be overwrought with blissful joy at the thought of mind-rotting comic books or any other form of entertainment, she dropped five tons of thick-covered books onto the carpet in front of my feet. It took a second to process, but all I could do was stare blankly at the monstrous pieces of my life's main misery: homework.

"Ohh I get it!" I exclaimed, pounding my fist into my palm, my brilliant revelation shedding light on this terrible, horribly planned joke. "The pages are made of saltwater taffy, right? And the words are drizzled with strawberry gelled icing, right?… Right?"

"Nee, Usagi-chan, I managed to collect every assignment you've missed so far this past week from Haruna-sensei. You really should catch up on your studies before you fall behind."

Okay, I take everything back. Ami is now the disciple of Hell.

"But Ami-channnnn," I whined before she could continue her school-based torture. "Since I'm 'sick' I'll have an extra week to do all this. Why worry now?"

"If you don't receive your homework ahead of time, I know it'll be your instinct to procrastinate and the work will be doubled in size. With the early start, it should be fairly easy to catch up."

Is she joking? If I don't actually do any of my homework _in_ class, why would I possibly accept the idea of doing it _out_ of class? What does she think this is, _work_ I'm supposed to finish at _home_?

Before I could protest, she glanced at her sliver-plated round watch attached at the back of her wrist and said, "Oh, I should go soon. Did you find any more information on Mamoru-san? We need more data on his current condition. From what Rei informed us during the reading… It doesn't sound very promising."

"Yeah, I didn't like the sound of her prediction at all… I know Mamoru can be a huge jerk, pretty much any time he opens his wide trap, but… a youma too?" I thought for a moment, then perked my head up. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

After rushing off into the bedroom, I returned a few seconds later, gripping a small object in my hand. "I found this last night. It looks like something we might need."

I spread my fingers so she could see my open palm. Resting in my hand was a finely cut jet black diamond that barely reached to the length of my hand's edges. Her eyes widened a bit as she gingerly picked the crystal up, as if it could break with the smallest amount pressure. To be honest, when I first found it, I was gonna cut a hole through the top and make it into an earring, but I didn't think an evil piece of jewelry fallen from the depths of the Dark Kingdom would go well with any of my spring outfits.

"Where… did you find this?" she questioned with hesitation, eyeing the item cautiously.

"In Mamoru's bedroom underneath his mattress. You'd think if he was trying to cover being a nightly part-time cross-dresser, he'd hide his costume jewelry more carefully."

She ignored me and began saying, "This looks to be a fragment of a larger crystal. I'll have to take a closer look at it after school. It may take all night to analyze properly. For such a small gem, it looks to have various dimensions and is, although visibly simple, also incredibly complex."

Nodding my head like I understood a single word she spoke, I asked slowly, "So… you think this might be a part of what the fire said is happening to him? But if he really is being taken over by our enemy, they sure picked a weird person for the job. Why Mamoru? He doesn't have any special powers like us."

"We can't be sure of that. There has to be some plausible reason our enemy is after him. I doubt they'd waste such an effort on any average civilian."

"But Mamoru can't be anything _too _powerful. I mean, the guy doesn't even have any candy lying around here. Not even any stashed away in one of his bedroom drawers, either, like a normal human being. You know, the kind where you tell yourself it's okay to eat because you'd have it late at night and you count it into your calories for the next day? Even though it really doesn't work that way… Seriously, what kind of person is that? Not my kind, I'll tell you that much."

She checked her watch once more, looking a bit worried. "Usagi-chan, I have to leave. Break is just about to be over. We're having a meeting tomorrow at seven at the shrine. Maybe by that time I might have some more answers for you and the other senshi. For now, watch Mamoru carefully. We aren't sure what he's capable of doing now that we're sure of the dark energy being fed into him. Remember to contact us if anything happens. Bye!"

After letting all that out, she swiftly hurried off into the direction of the elevator, leaving me with endless amounts of homework piled up on Mamoru's doorstep. I doubt I could even lift the whole stack in one try. Even though battling evil creatures from the netherworlds keeps my dainty figure in shape, I still can't lift any kind of heavy weight for the life of me. I bet Haruna-sensei added in some extra hard problems just for pure student-crushing purposes. The Mandarin flu doesn't even sound real. It sounds like a weird dance move, not an illness.

There's no way I'm going to even think about doing any of this. Hm, I can't just leave it hanging around here, though.

Urghh why me?

Shifting my eyes along the stretch of the empty hallway, I grinned to myself. With some effort I managed to sweep the pile of books against the wall outside the doorframe, sighing a bit. I can't just leave these out in the open, people will notice. Who knows, maybe some sick freak will actually try to take them. I don't know what kind of demented person would want to _steal_ books, but who knows, there's some creepy people out there. Like for peasants who need to steal food, only… you can't eat paper. Or the cover. Really, what good are books if they aren't consumable? I should bring that up in our homeroom debates.

After some searching, I found a folded up satin table cloth in one of Mamoru's drawers. Really, Mamoru-baka, pink satin? It's not even like a manly pink, it's like a baby's rosy cheeks pink.

I draped the light fabric onto the towering homework heap, nodding at my work.

Perfect! No one will ever know!

Sure, it looked like a deformed nightstand, but at least it didn't look like a stack of suspiciously unread books.

Ah, Tsukino, you are truly a genius.

* * *

"So after that, you square x to cancel out the initial square root…" Mamoru explained as he wrote out one of my dreaded algebra problems on a half-filled sheet of binder paper.

When he came home he had pulled off the cloth I used to disguise my supposedly well-hidden books. After some long argument about how his favorite silk dining table cover is "tainted" by the touch of my hands, he decided a proper punishment would be studying. STUDYING. Sure, gigantic sharp-toothed ravenous youmas are one thing, but studying is by far much more terrifying. Only those who are purely conjured out of evil can create such monstrous equations. Lets just say after barely living through these horrible algebra problems, I'll have a few angry letters of complaint to address to some know-it-all math geek authors…

"Are you even listening?"

Mamoru prodded me against my forearm with my pink bunny pencil, which was a little funny if you thought about it, the great Chiba Mamoru writing with a cute bunny pencil. A sour look scrunched my face as I grumbled a "yes". With I'm sure little doubt that I was truly listening, he continued his lecture.

Amazingly we had only fought once since he came home. I think our fights are usually around 1:3, one hour to three fights (That's a ratio, I'm supposed to be practicing these, but again, who really needs something like that?) We both sat around the low glass coffee table in his living room: me on one side plopped on my soft round pillow, and him only a few feet away with his legs crossed, writing equation after equation on that stupid piece of paper. The night came without much notice and the lights placed around the room barely lit enough to see the glow of all the binder paper sprawled across the table.

Even though I still hated his guts (take good note of that), I can't help but feel comfortable when I'm around him. Sure our fighting is endless and he aggravates me to unbelievable heights, but even during our fights I feel at ease, at least when steam's not bursting out of my ears.

I guess after a few hundred… or thousand… fights, I get used to it. Well… maybe not _used _to it, that's not the right word. Maybe I look forward to it just a little bit. I have to admit, it almost makes me feel special, in a way. Chiba Mamoru: single, handsome college bachelor, cuts pieces of time out of his day to put his attention on me: ordinary, clumsy sixteen-year-old Tsukino Usagi. Okay, well, strike out the ordinary, the fact that I fight daily against evil creatures and use a magic floating tiara disc may make me not too normal. I guess it's not the best attention in the world to get, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

And this whole studying thing really isn't so bad with him around. At least his voice is pleasant to listen to. When I really tune in to it, it kind of has a deep constant rhythm. Each word drums steadily, lacking any hesitation or stray fumbled words. He did inherit a nice voice, I'll say that much for him. Definitely different than Haruna-sensei, who sounds as pleasant as a chicken scratching its nails against sandpaper.

Hm, that's one way to get an effective manicure.

Wait, where did all that come from? Mamoru, _handsome_? And suddenly I _like _him teasing me? Wow, I must be getting delusional. I refuse to let him send me to the loony bin. If anything, I'll go of my own free will. I bet _they _don't have to use factoring and solve linear equations.

Noticing my complete lack of concentration, Mamoru let out an impatient sigh. Come on, I can't help not listening. Whenever I hear numbers my eyelids start to close. It's like an impulse.

"Gomeeeeeennnnnn…" I apologized sleepily as I cradled my cheek against my palm, my arm propped on the table. "I dunno, so many people have tried to teach me, but I can barely manage to get C's on my math tests, if I'm lucky. I can't even remember what a B looks like. Maybe I'm not meant to learn this stuff."

"Don't worry," he began to say. "It's all a matter of thinking positively. If you try, you'll be able to succeed."

"But the numbers won't soak into my brain," I told him, gently knocking my fist to my head. "It's like it's already too full of comic book characters and music lyrics. And it doesn't help that the equations are soo unfairly hard."

"Memorizing the base equations may seem tough, but when you get the basic idea down, the rest will come easily."

Pondering quietly, eyes closed, I mumbled, "Easy for you to say…"

"You won't fail. I promise."

Opening one eye curiously, I could see a gentle smile arising on his lips.

Hmm, something is definitely fishy here. He's not yelling at me or calling me Odango Atama or flicking my nose. Is he pulling a trick? Oh no, maybe this is the Dark Kingdom's sinister mind power at work. Lets see… no black pulsating aura… no hint of yellow eyes forming… he _seems_ normal, but maybe that's what they _want _me to think. Any second now he'll come bursting out with sharp nails, a deformed, drooling mouth and a set of sharply cut fangs.

I watched carefully for any sign of transformation.

"Something wrong?" he asked, forming a grin. "You're staring."

"I am not! I'm… just noticing how big your nostrils are."

I could see he didn't buy my shameless lie, and grinned even wider. "Come onnn Odango, I know I'm handsome, but really, no need to stare. A nice photo will do, ne?"

Ugh, okay, so he's back to Odango. Guess the youma transformation is out.

"You really are a weirdo, Mamoru-baka. For one second I think you're actually semi-nice, then the next, you turn into supercreep again. Make up your mind."

"I can't help it, you bring that out in me."

"What? You're blaming you being a jerk on me?" I squealed. "You're the one who starts it, I so would be nice to you if you weren't always making fun of my hair and the way I look and talk and act, you know!"

"Like I said, it's an instinct with you."

"Why, though? I don't even provoke you… well, I mean, sometimes, but most of the time, you totally bring up the mean comments out of nowhere, and for no reason. I really will never understand you."

"Well…" he trailed off slowly, deep in thought. "You do realize that those who tease others don't do it out of hate; they care about them. Perhaps, in some cases, more than the person knows."

I blinked, half expecting our usual pointless argument to ensue. "Huh?"

As he let out a vibrating laugh, I started to get a little angry. Why is he laughing at me?

"You really are special, Odango," he said so lightly, I could've sworn he was whispering.

"Special? You mean like not being able to walk without tripping or crying on kiddie roller coasters kind of special?"

Ignoring my humor, his voice fell a tone lower. "You truly and honestly don't understand why I act this way toward you? No clue whatsoever?"

Very slightly, the space between us shrank as my anger subsided.

"Let me ask you this…" Each word lay heavily in the air as he spoke. "How many girls would I let live in my apartment without a serious relationship attached? For that matter, how many girls would I let into my apartment at all?"

I had no idea, and could only shake my head.

"You may not realize this, but my private business stays secluded from nearly every person drawn into my social circle… including Motoki."

Before I could interrupt, he continued with surprising ease, "I rarely allow anyone in here, let alone in my bedroom, and yet… you've managed to sleep on my bed on more than one occasion in the past week. Why is that? I let you roam free without restraints from any area, any drawers, anywhere I could easily keep hidden.

"Even my family, which tracks painful memories, became known to you openly from the pictures and stories I told; at least stories I can remember. Why, of everyone, every girl I could possibly allow into my personal space, why do you think I let you interrupt the well-knitted fabric of my life?"

Shocked, blank, back firmly upright, I could barely manage to keep my composure. No words could flutter through my lips. No hasty remarks. My throat and lungs were clenching, grabbing the tiniest bits of oxygen with little success. All I could do was hold onto every word, the room filling with a deafening silence, growing along the absence of his pounding voice. Only now every word became amplified, steady with each lulled beat pressed against my ear.

The space between us became shorter.

"Why Tsukino Usagi, why her? After repeating the question to myself, running ongoing circles in my head, the answer became clear to me… and I suppose, in all fairness, this shouldn't be kept hidden," his thumping beat continued, and the room seemed so much smaller all of a sudden.

"Do you ever feel like you've ever been missing apart of yourself? As if this entirely opposite personality is waiting to escape you, something you never realized lay deep within your thoughts? Like this personality, or whatever you may call it, will burst at any second? As if only one person is meant to awaken it?"

The gap becomes so narrow I can feel his vibrating tone from the top of my head to the very ends of my toes. His gaze met mine, clashing in one breathless second. A cool unearthed blueness locked onto my line of sight, rendering me powerless.

"You… bring out this side in me. Any normal person, on any boring bland day of the week, I greet with my unbreakable façade: the astute student with few words and minimal personality… that everyday Chiba Mamoru."

What exactly am I waiting for?

"But when I'm around you, everything seems to turn upside down."

So close…

"I lose my cool. I can't keep my normal composure or think straight. I become childish, hot-headed, impatient, everything I'm not."

So close I can barely stand his warm breath reaching, grasping to touch my skin.

"Every second with you brings this person out of me. Every second of your sweetness and light enraptures me."

His scent drowned in fresh rose petals, ripe clove stems, warm brushes of air.

"It corrupts me."

Breathing in, slowly out, coating the tip of my lips…

"You have no idea; you corrupt me."

Heavy lidded, I prey for some salvation; something to burn off this sensation trickling to my fingertips. Anything.

Not able to control my senses, my eyes fall shut, wishing the torment away as the gap closes, becoming nearly nonexistent…


	9. Unexpected Transformation

After years of major writing blocks and editing, I finally came around to finishing another chapter. It's been much _much_ too long, but I thank every person for reviewing and being patient with me! It's definitely been a struggle.

Anyway, I've realized my writing style has changed over this period of time, and I'm planning on revising (not changing the actual storyline, of course) the other chapters to flow evenly. Otherwise older chapters seem completely in a different writing style than this one, which may be confusing, and we can't have that ;). I'll get the last chapter (finally!) out as soon as humanly possible. Promise!

* * *

My breath escaped me.

Suddenly every rational thought sitting in the back of my mind fluttered away, collapsing. Instincts to push away his hovering form, to scream at the lack of space between us, punch heavily against his jaw with all my pent-up force, also fluttered away. None could shake my numb limbs. Instead I simply waited, awestruck and hazed.

Were my heartbeats always this loud? I could feel each thump pound against my chest, clear and unshaken.

Once surrounding us, the room began to dissipate; the nonexistent couch, the bottomless floor, the enclosed walls, all faded into bleak nothingness and left only Mamoru and I in our lingering, infinite space.

As I could feel the slightest, impossibly light brush of skin against the very bottom part of my lip, the worst (or maybe the best) happened.

My communicator chimed, secluded underneath the coffee table, and cut straight through the once-soundless air. As if some invisible lasso pulled me from behind, I fell onto the soft carpet, still in a daze. After fumbling blindly for my communicator, eventually it ended up in my hands (though slipping through my fingers a couple times). Without a glace toward Mamoru's direction, I hurried off into the bathroom, my face burning fifty different shades of red.

Leaning against the back of the door, I let out a sigh that seemed to be lodged in my throat. Although still not able to gather my thoughts, I somehow noticed the ongoing loud beeping invading the air, and finally I pressed the answer button.

"Oi, baka! I've been on the line forever! What took you so long?"

Furious as always, Rei's glaring face popped up inside the tiny circle. My throat dry, I could barely manage to open my mouth, let alone gather any words to speak. With the idle thumping of my heart humming loudly against my ears, who knew what kind of volume my voice would force out.

"USAGI!" she repeated impatiently, causing me to jump. "Are you even _listening_? I swear, it's like I'm talking to a wall sometimes. Kami-sama, even a _wall _is more helpful! At least it echoes back when I talk! You have no idea—"

Forcing to end her rant, I could faintly hear Minako's voice arising. Her obvious presence became louder as she wrestled the communicator from Rei's paws, leaving the grumbling fire dragon to sulk and lick her own wounds.

"Sorry about that, she didn't take her medication today," Minako concluded with a discreet cough, seeming to dodge a stray book being thrown in her direction. After a couple of moments, a worried look took hold of her expression.

"Usa-chan? You okay?"

Blinking, I finally noticed my silence, and mumbled an unconvincing "Yeah", remembering to throw in a half-smile. "Just tired."

Knowing Minako, she didn't buy it in the least, and from the wary look on her face, my efforts left her totally unconvinced. Not that I had the strength to try and fake my way out of this one, anyway.

"You know, you haven't been this quiet since you brought your 'boyfriend' Yoki home from junior high holding hands, and you found your dad in the kitchen polishing his shotgun collection. Yoki was small, but that boy could sure run fast."

"Yeah… I guess I'm a little distracted today," I halfway lied, still not able to pull myself together.

Unsure, she threw another proverb, "You know what they say, _'the silent lion thinks the loudest'_."

"Um, I don't think that's how it goes…"

"Come on, you can tell me. My senses reveal all, and it's been proven that no one can hide anything from the love goddess," her voice became quieter as muffled voices droned in the background, which I recognized as Ami's soft tone, followed by Rei's heavy thundering. "Oi, oi, calm down already, geeze! I'm getting to the point! And we can do without the _name-calling_, thank you very much."

Gaining her composure, she continued, "Sorry, Usa, the meeting tomorrow can't wait, we need you down at the shrine A.S.A.P. Ami found something out about that black crystal you found and you need to see it for yourself. It's important."

I nodded slowly. "Sure… I'll be there soon."

She paused for a moment. "And after all this is settled, you _will _tell me what's wrong."

Before I could answer, her face disappeared from the screen, replaced only by black and white static. For some reason a jarring feeling spread through me, partly from having no idea what they had discovered, and partly from knowing Mamoru was still out there, waiting in the living room, probably pondering my sanity. I wouldn't blame him.

Escape plans began forming, one after the other, mulling in my mind. Where's a roll of rope the length of an apartment complex when you need it?

As I poked out of the bathroom, I decided the best and easiest route for the moment would be heading straight for the door with no intention of looking back. I couldn't worry about what had… or maybe had not (considering I might really be going insane) happened. For once senshi business was my first priority, and for that reason, I pushed any other stray thoughts into the distance. Mind nearly blank, I hurried through the darkened bedroom.

Vaguely, as I left, I noticed the apartment was empty.

"It seems our first instincts were correct," Ami explained as she pushed the darkened gemstone I had found earlier in Mamoru's apartment across the square tabletop, pointed in my direction. Each of us sat at opposite sides of the table, which was propped in the middle of Rei's bedroom. I wasn't sure why, but an uneasy feeling shook through me and saturated the room with a kind of pulsating static. Curiously, I glanced into the mirrored cuts of the gem, which, as far as I could tell, were unchanged since I'd last seen it.

"I've examined the crystal and, as we've suspected, this energy seems to be a part of the block on your transformation. Although it's the only solid evidence showing Mamoru's involvement in the situation, it confirms our doubts." Ami took in a long breath and evenly exhaled with grim reluctance, "Mamoru is on the side of our enemy."

My mouth dropped, soaking in her words. Lowering my gaze once again to the glimmering shard, I shook my head slightly, speaking in a whisper, "But… It can't be."

"I'm afraid so, Usagi-chan…"

I could barely recognize my voice as it squeaked out, "How though? I mean, he never once attacked me, not even close. So how do you explain that?" My words came out rushed, harsher than I expected. "I mean he's had more than enough opportunities."

"We're not sure," Makoto answered. "Ami-chan, we'd better show her."

I blinked in confusion. With a silent nod and the push of her tiny blue studded earring, Ami's visor encircled across her eyes, and with a few clicks on her compact computer's keyboard, a beeping noise radiated from its speakers. Turning the computer's screen toward me, she pointed to what seemed to be a green outlined figure in the long shape of the crystal. As the beeping wore on, another screen popped into view, revealing the outline of a man, face partly hidden, his form distorted into some monstrous figure. One feature made the picture clear: deep sapphire eyes embedded on top of the figure's head.

"Mamoru…" I whispered unthinkingly, eyes locked onto the blinking greenish shape. The multitude of surrounding deep green lines melded against the pure black background. I kept refocusing my eyes, but it seemed like my mind couldn't have been playing a trick on me.

"It's Mamoru, but trapped inside a youma's body. Somehow this crystal links you to Mamoru, and Mamoru to this youma. I have a strong feeling this is the same one we've recently been fighting with and having so much trouble."

My mind flashed back to the monster we'd seen: black and disfigured. It couldn't be…

"_That's_ him?" I questioned skeptically while gripping the thick strands of my yellow hair between my fingers light enough, in hopes of thinking of an alternative. "Come on, there's no way. I mean honestly, he didn't even try to do anything bad the entire time I was there. If he really was that… thing, I would've seen it by now."

Ami thought to herself for a moment. "Maybe his mind is distorted when he's a youma, so he has no idea what's happening. I mean, as far as we can tell, generally the youma's only intention is whatever orders their master carries out, and in most cases, it's collecting energy from humans; nothing else matters to them. When a mission is given, either they complete this mission successfully, or die doing so. There's no way he'd be able to distinguish you in the view of a human to you in the view of a youma. Or at least, that's our best guess."

I didn't want to believe it. I could hear her speak, but my mind rejected the words. I became awash with panic, in fear for his life being drained away by that horrible creature.

"That must mean they're taking him over! We have to save him!"

Minako interrupted me, a very calm tone emitting from her voice, before I could continue, "No, Usagi-chan, it's too dangerous. We have no idea what he could do, and you can't transform."

I opened my mouth to speak, to protest, but nothing came out, and it closed again. It left me dry and speechless.

"We'll take care of it," Makoto assured after a long pause of deafening silence. "You just stay here and be safe. In fact, it's probably a good idea you sleep here tonight, in Rei's room. We don't want you getting hurt. Besides, we can always call your parents and let them know you're coming back a little early, that you've improved enough in the past few days. They wouldn't suspect a thing."

"Luna will watch over you," Rei added in the same calming nature, which surprised me, and reassured her promise by placing her hand on the back of my shoulder. "You won't have anything to worry about."

"No!" I burst suddenly, causing the four senshi to flinch at my opposition. "I'm the only one that can save him! You know that! Only my powers can heal him!"

"Usagi-chan, calm down—" Ami began slowly, but the slamming of my fists against the solid table cut her sentence short.

"I _won't _calm down! I can't sit here waiting, standing by as he's being turned into a heartless monster … That's too cruel! I know we fight a lot, sure, and he gets me so angry sometimes over little dumb remarks, but that's no reason to let him become … _that._" I spat out my last word, acidic in my mouth.

They all threw me sympathetic gazes, as if they already knew his fate had been sealed. Face flustered, I shook my head in disbelief. This can't be real. He was just sitting there next to me, human as ever, helping me with my stupid math homework problems. How could he possibly hide something that major from me? Nothing made sense. If this was true, he was alone with me plenty of times, no witnesses, and could've killed me right there in his living room … but he didn't. Why?

Staring outward, my focus set on the framed doorway, my eyes narrowed. "I won't let this happen."

Without a reflex to react, I sprinted out the shrine's main door and onto the hazy, winding Tokyo streets. Back in the distance I could make out Minako's voice and the others shouting protests, but my feet continued moving, one foot touching the ground after the other, so lightly they could barely make contact, using the opposing foot to propel my body forward.

Ignoring the fresh air my lungs ached to breath, I could only think of saving Mamoru from this horrible thing, from the pain. He _had _to feel pain from this. I wanted nothing more than for him to be okay, for this to end up being a horrendous nightmare than we could all laugh about tomorrow. I needed to see that same Chiba Mamoru grin that always slid gently across his face, to know everything will be okay, and to know that there's not one shred of monster left inside his body. I won't accept any less.

Images of building after building swept by my line of sight, all molding into one tall, infinite rectangular line. Gasping for cold, shortened breaths, I could feel my chest beginning to collapse in itself, but without an ounce uncertainty I stared ahead, determined. Not even the icy wind pounding my face was able to slow my pace down.

I barely noticed (or tried not to notice) one of my feet steadily becoming heavier than the other as I ran further down the elongated paved road, and only seconds later after this realization, that same foot missed a step from the sudden build up of dead weight, causing me to fall face-first onto the sidewalk.

Ignoring the obvious pain from the blow to my forehead, I focused on relaxing, drinking in the specks of noises scattered in every direction. None of these sounds seemed to be anywhere reachable. After listening to the mute silence mixed and engrained in the distant hoots and slow cicada songs, I grumbled in frustration. Why, of all times, must I have a klutz moment _now_?

Pushing myself onto my hands and knees, I was determined to keep moving forward. I couldn't bear to think of him lost in the midst of that kind of danger. Thinking about letting him turn into _that_… I knew I could never forgive myself if I didn't try.

Slowly, I began searching for the relief of air traveling through my throat. I realized my head was pounding, and I was barely able to make out the buildings or even the sidewalk. I did notice a few key things through the haze: the bitingly cold air, the hard, uneven pavement, and the lack of any light within blocks, including any visible streetlights; just rows upon rows of pitch black that seemed to engulf itself.

A feeling of unease hit me. I must've gone off the main path into some strange part of town, a section that was completely foreign to me. I didn't even bother to try and make out the scrapings on any street signs. Attempting to push myself up from the security of my knees, I felt the warm blood that was beginning to seep through the tiny, grain-like scratches etched into my skin. It stung, grinding dirt into the wound. Defeated, I fell back onto the pavement. I realized how helpless I really was without my powers. Poor little helpless, crybaby Usagi.

"I guess Mamoru was right," I choked in a coughed whimper, almost hoping for a reply as the still atmosphere whispered in my ear. I tilted my head up toward the night sky, stars clouded over and invisible to the eye. Even the brilliant light reaching from the stars felt like a torch for the sky instead of down here, on Earth. The moon itself hung high above, glinting silvery hues and overcast with dented grey valleys. Glowing peace and patience, I smiled steadily. It really was beautiful.

I did know this: Sailor Moon wouldn't fall and mope; she's supposed to be a hero. Heroes don't cry and give up when things get tough. As much as I force myself to forget sometimes, I _am _Sailor Moon, and I will protect anyone and everyone possible. Especially … those I love. I wonder…

Taking in another deep, ragged breath, I was fully determined to get back up on my own two feet and sprint off once again, task in hand.

But suddenly, I froze.

I could tell that I wasn't alone.

Only a few small feet away, I could barely make out the sight of a dark, almost shapeless shadow, reflected by the moon's glow; it was the first sign of light at all. Calmly as I could, I focused on listening to the sound of my inward breaths. I paused steadily before lifting my head.

There it stood: the very youma we had encountered several times, the one that was currently enclosing Mamoru's human form.

Now bathed in full view of the silvery moonlight, I noticed the lines of his face that jutted in slow, curved lines and outlined his ghostly complexion. A torn white mask clung around the traces of his eyes, the very same blue eyes I knew and studied daily in the very deep corner of my mind, regardless of our fighting and bickering. Even then, the evidence shoved in front of my face, I still wished to not believe. My mouth agape, I searched further, and finally landed my gaze on his one uncovered eye, haunting, its darkened reflection piercing. The face and body that surrounded, though, were unrecognizable. Without the distinction, he could fall into any pack of hungry youmas as well as I do with other teenage girls.

This confirmed my fear, though: this _was _Mamoru. I'd never seen any other person with that same shade of blue. Not one. Drinking in his hollowed figure, I became more and more horrified. His white mask stuck against his face as if it were burnt plastic. That body wasn't his own; the thin limbs and poking ribs made that clear. All I could do was stare … and wait for any sign of movement.

But, as time wore on, he left himself rooted in place. I was about to open my mouth to say something, anything. Maybe there was some trace of human left hiding in his blood.

"Pretty magnificent, wouldn't you agree?" a voice purred from above, causing my head to snap toward the intrusion. There floated a figure clad in a snow white tuxdeo, a matching cape tossed behind his back, along with various crystals that jingled and hung freely from the knit threads. The man set his gaze directing toward me, mouth thin and grinning with a vile, tightening cold. I'd recognize that unnatural white color of hair anywhere: Kunzite.

_Thump._

"What … what do you mean?" I managed to stutter, ignoring the warm, gushing adrenaline that flooded my veins.

"Oh, why must humans be so naïve as to protest their fate?" he questioned as his form lingered directly above the disfigured Mamoru, who continued heaving, almost beastly. "It should be accepted as such. Wouldn't you agree … Sailor Moon?"

Hot blood stained my cheeks. I fought the urge to lose my composure. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hmm?" He raised his silvery eyebrow, almost amused. "Did you really think your identity would be kept secret for this long? Unless you would prefer me to call you Miss Tsukino Usagi, which I would happily oblige."

My legs became dead weights underneath me. He knew.

"Or…" he murmured mindlessly, "Would Sailor Moon suffice? I suppose that would be the best, considering our history."

Instead of a rebuttal, I simply remained collapsed and quiet. A sort of hollow sickness filled the pit of my stomach.

"You see," Kunzite began to explain steadily, easily, as if my life wasn't as crushable as glass in his very hands. "After months of research, I finally was able to track down a significant amount of energy in this particular human, Chiba Mamoru. As you well know, his energy seemed extremely valuable, and therefore I wasn't tempted into completely draining him of every drop yet. Instead I allowed him to collect vast amounts of energy from his day-to-day tasks. After monitoring him for a needed time frame, I was about to pluck the ripeness of his energy, when I stumbled upon watching an amazing transformation in front of my own eyes. I could hardly believe it."

"… Transformation?" I whispered somewhat eagerly, confused.

"As shocking as it would seem, this ordinary human," he gestured downward, "possesses the ability to transform into a person whom we both know well … one that fought by your side and protected your own life. Also, he was one that blocked my progression toward energy collecting; an obstacle, if anything. He is … your own Tuxedo Kamen."

Already at a loss for words, I'd probably at that moment be uncontrollable, if I were to speak again. I couldn't swallow this. First, he was stupid Mamoru-baka, then a youma, and now my all-time crush and the potential love of my life, Tuxedo Kamen? Was I dreaming? But, if he really was, then that would mean … he loves Sailor Moon, as Mamoru _and _Tuxedo Kamen. He said so himself, in his confession. This _had _to be a dream, worse yet, a nightmare.

"Now," he interrupted, my thoughts cutting away and back to reality, "as loyal as I may be to my Queen, I pursued this lead on my own terms, without a word to any of my comrades. This discovery was too profound to waste. So I planted that lovely crystal you and your annoying Senshi were tirelessly trying to evaluate in his apartment. Little did you realize, however, that not only did this crystal track your movement, but it revealed a much greater secret: your identity. Unfortunately, it took some time before the crystal took full effect, but as you can see, he seems fairly content in this new form. Think of it as an upgraded version of your beloved hero."

"How… Why…" I fumbled, at a total loss. There were no corners to run and hide, and no way to transform. Only one fate seemed left on my path.

"On top of that," he continued onward, ignoring my meek words, "this crystal contains the ability to block your power. As I knew well, and thought to myself, Tuxedo Kamen must be close to Sailor Moon somehow, and then the plan became full proof. More or less, his state was altered, and instead he transformed him into this newly-born being. Perfect, would you not agree?"

Casting down my eyes at Mamoru (or what was left of him), tears began to arise, against my will. "That ... can't be."

"I'm afraid so. Enough talk. Your ill fate will be sealed by the very hands that once adored to protect you. Consider it an honor."

Disgusted, my vision narrowed at Kunzite, as the taste of death gathered in my mouth. He rose his hand across his chest, cutting it heavily in a downward motion.

In a blurred frenzy, I could make out the distinctive shift in Mamoru's eyes. They were heated, unforgiving, no longer his own. Teeth slightly pointed, they became unsheathed from his widened smirk. How was this the same person? He prepared to launch with the crouch of his legs. I clenched my eyelids shut, preparing for the blow I knew followed.

"Shabon … spray!"

A shout from the distance rung and suddenly the air surrounding me felt incredibly cold and wet, filled in mist. I could faintly make out the four senshi that came to protect me as they each sprinted and planted themselves in front of my crouched body. Washed over with a sense of relief, I whispered, "Minna …"

Venus turned herself, sun-stained skirt fluttering along her ever-long hair, to wink an eye heartily at me. Her arm began to lift, as she turned into position. "Cresent …"

A yellowish light formed at the tip of her finger, but before she could aim her attack, the deformed Tuxedo Kamen pounced somewhere from the thick fog atmosphere and, cane in hand, he swirled his arm in a circular motion, cutting through the dense wetness and causing them to collapse at the swift touch.

"No!" I cried out unthinkingly, willing strength into my legs, as I stumbled onto the huddled mass, their bodies limp. My hand reached out to grab the torn collar of Rei's uniform, unwanted tears welling up in my eyes. The back of my throat became dry, bitter. "I … I couldn't help. Please, wake up. Please!"

A dark mass hovered above, shaking with cruel, heartless laugher. "Your powers are no longer useful, Sailor Moon, as long as this crystal exists. You must accept this willingly."

Eyes stained from salty tears, I clenched my fists, pulsating with hardened anger. Gaining sensation in one of my legs, I pushed the weight of my body against its base, and managed to steadily rise, back straight and one arm stiffly tucked behind. Through the short golden locks of my bangs, I locked my eyesight on the endless grey path ahead. My apparent regain in strength must have taken Kunzite aback, as he clenched his jaw shut in a tight line, nearly flinching. He awaited my next move, wary.

"I won't …" my gasps exhaled into a stronger heave, "I won't allow any more harm. If only I had known his condition sooner, I could've tried to cure his sickness, or something; anything to let him be free. If this means a battle …."

Strength focused and ready, I tilted my head to face Kunzite, gathering the energy. All I needed was a spark. Just one flicker of strength might cause a reaction. Pulling the mass of strength I could manage, it spread to heels of my feet, the base of my neck, and continued surging. My fingertips numbed, not with the cold night, but instead a very distinct energy that collected and gathered like pixie dust.

"Then I should at least grant that."

An outline of a crescent burned through the skin of my forehead, molding the depths of my energy. I noticed the moon's distant glow flashed for a brief, still moment. The oxygen in my lungs disappeared. I felt at peace, as if part of the link between the long distance of our planet and its companion crumbled.

"Moon Prism Power …"

As the trickling energy clustered in the center of my chest, it trickled and swayed across the surface of my form, enveloping the bottoms of my legs to the grip of my hands.

"Make-Up!"

Sections of light burst out in every direction, encircling the waistline of my stomach, forming into white cotton. Boots with crescents attached to the tops appeared on my feet. I did it. I could transform again!

Completely distracted with this discovery, I could barely blink before a force gripped the sides of my shoulders, pinning my arms between its tight hands and a concrete brick wall.

Shocked and weary, my head swayed and felt too light. I tilted my head up.

A pair of hungry blue sapphires met my gaze.


End file.
